


Super Danganronpa 2: Twisted Despair

by 0tt0



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Different Mastermind (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Different Motives (Dangan Ronpa), Alternate Universe - Talentswap (Dangan Ronpa), Blood and Gore, Butterfly Effect, Canon-Typical Violence, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Murder Mystery, POV First Person, intentional ooc, personality changes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:35:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 46,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27607049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0tt0/pseuds/0tt0
Summary: "People like that are hard not to look up to at every moment in your earliest memories; hard not to be inspired by to break from the chains of your painfully dull life.That’s why, to feel like a member of society, to become someone I could be proud of, I always wanted to…… Become an Ultimate myself.I am Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Photographer."The classic killing game on Jabberwock Island... But things seem to be a little mixed around. The accomplished Hajime Hinata is thrusted into a game that threatens all he's worked for.Nagging yakuzas, mysterious amnesiacs, perverted rockstars, bratty princesses, self-centered pop idols... No matter what this island throws at him, the camera boy won't lose this game of Danganronpa.
Comments: 32
Kudos: 145





	1. Prologue - 1

I never knew it’d be so huge.

I mean, of course, I was always aware that it was a big school, but… Wow.

I was standing at the pearly gates of Hope’s Peak Academy. The school dedicated to Ultimates, to fostering these beacons of light for future, towered before me. Maybe I was just in shock of the moment. I always gazed from afar, like a secret admirer, high off of his unrequited love. I never thought I’d ever get this close… But here I was. It really was more grand than the distance led me to believe. 

There’s two requirements to you must meet in order to be accepted into this school:

1\. You must currently be attending highschool, as a student.

2\. You must be the absolute best at what you do.

I never thought I’d say this, but... I meet those requirements.  
You can’t just walk in, the school has to scout you out themselves. They have to recognize your remarkable potential. They have to see something in you. This is why the students of HP are known country-wide as the Ultimates. When you’re an Ultimate, you have to be talented beyond compare, you have to shimmer with hope for the industries of this nation. What can I say? The students are the ultimate practitioners of their arts. People like that are hard not to look up to at every moment in your earliest memories; hard not to be inspired by to break from the chains of your painfully dull life.

That’s why, to feel like a member of society, to become someone I could be proud of, I always wanted to…

… Become an Ultimate myself.

I am Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Photographer.

For countless years I’ve traveled abroad, collected awards, studied lighting and angles down to a science, just so I’d have my name printed in faux gold on a Hope’s Peak acceptance letter. It was beyond fantasy that I could really call myself an Ultimate. Not only was I the recognized best at an artform, but I was one of my childhood heroes. I could barely even process it, but standing at the schoolfront of Hope’s Peak Academy, and completely belonging there, it truly was…

I could barely process it, but it truly was…

Truly…

Truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly truly tr

Up until now, I didn’t want to admit how ashamed of myself I always was. That’s why… Hope…

…

There’s a door.

Why am I here? When did I get inside? What even is thi-

There’s a door over there.

...

In that weightless moment, all my senses caught on to a door across from me. While the rest of reality melted into an incomprehensible stream of black nothingness, the wooden sliding door before me was clear as daylight. I couldn’t think about anything else. I needed to enter that door. I couldn’t even register this sudden instinct, but I needed to hurry. I needed to get inside....

Like a light flickering on in pitch darkness, burning your adjusted eyes upon sudden impact, the clarity of the sight on the other side left my vision stinging. My brain struggled as it registered the colors… Then the sizes… Then the shapes… Then the details… Then the people.

There was one thing grounding me in this mind-numbing situation, and it was the students that filled this colorful classroom. Their grand aura and their striking uniforms of importance made them unmistakable. These were the Ultimates. 

“Another kid…?”

“Woah! Heeeyo~!”

“That makes 12- No, 13…”

The Ultimates.

“What kind of lameass nerd wears a bowtie like that!?”

The voices around me were indistinct, mostly just blending into each other, but one thing was very recognizable; The Ultimates were talking about me.

“A-are you a freshman, too?”

Talking to me.

“He looks totally lost! I guess I can’t blame him…”

Treating me like one of their own.

I mean, I was! Of course! But it was just an unreal feeling of excitement, it was like I was getting high off of it-

Frail fingers snapping before me brought my senses to life, quickly retrieving my attention from the depths of my geekiness. I was still too disoriented to find their owner, but I didn’t need to.

“Spacecase! Listen when you’re talked to, dumbass!”

The sharp voice put me in my place. That place was among a pack of Ultimates, who all looked just as out of their element as I was. I’d have to get used to this feeling quick, I couldn’t just keep spacing out like that. 

“Get inside!”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” I obliged the barking orders. I couldn’t really afford not to, as I needed to save my souring first-impression. Despite my title, I still needed to prove that I was an Ultimate, and coming off as a vacant daydreamer wasn’t helping. I sat down at the nearest seat as the voices around me continued.

“If there really i-is any threat. I’m- I’m sure I could fend them off…”

“I’m telling you, that’s unnecessary. That’s probably not even the solution! Whatever this is…”

Watching strangers is a rather... different experience. It’s weird to be at home with a group of people, yet they’re all completely nobodies to you. Their faces are just blank and their voices are gusts of air, your brain hasn’t gotten down all the details and differences yet. More kids even filed in after me, all being so distinct in shapes and sizes, and yet they just blended in with the rest of them. Like nothing changed.

"HEY, YOU! KEEP THAT DOOR OPEN!"

The last student to arrive was thankfully a quick thinker, as they followed the command as soon as it was issued. Keeping the door propped open with a hand, they turned around to face the doorframe and get a steadier grasp. They gradually struggled more and more with holding the sliding panel open, until it eventually slipped through their fingers with heavy force, slamming back closed on it's own. I watched intently as they tried to tug it back open.

"THAT'S NOT FUCKING WORKING, EITHER."

"I'm sorry."

"Does this mean-"

"We're locked in like Fort Knox? You'd think that'd be obvious by now."

Locked in!? From what I just saw, there's no question about that, but… What?

"Why are we… Why are they locking us in?"

"Are we being kidnapped? Or, being held hostage, rather?"

"KIDNAPPED? HOSTAGE???"

"I wouldn't jump to such a conclusion. I mean, we've been locked in, but I doubt there's any forces who find our lives valuable enough for ransom."

"Eh? But we're Ultimates! Surely, at least Hope's Peak cares enough about us getting held hostage!"

"... Inside their own building?"

The conversation around me felt more like a competition of who could freak out the loudest, as it all melted into unintelligible white noise. Finally, someone said something actually insightful, which was enough to warrant the class' attention.

"What if this is… Ah, some sort of weird entrance exam?"

"What kind of entrance exam would need you to scare the crap out of your students!?"

"Hope's Peak doesn't do entrance exams, porn for brains! You should think before you speak for once, or you'll just embarrass yourself even more!"

"Hey, he's got a point. This has got to be a test-"

"Nope! You're wrooong!"

The last voice to speak caught me off-guard, and it seemed like it did the same to everyone else. It was cheery, midtone squeak, unlike anything I've heard.

"... Who was that?"

A student next to me turned around with a snarl.

"Was it you, pipsqueak?"

I had a sharp finger accusingly jabbed into my chest, until the voice spoke again.

"Actually, it was me!"

My classmates' heads swung around, desperately searching all the faces in the room to determine where the mystery voice came from. But alas, the shouting returned.

"WHERE IS IT EVEN COMING FROM!?"

"Quiet down! It's obviously coming from the teacher's podium!"

Surely enough, I kept my eyes on the podium as quite the scene unfolded before us.

A mess of sparkles spilled from the ceiling, swirling up into the front of the classroom. From the mixing twinkles, a form was just barely visible. The clouds of glitter dissipated to reveal twitching white ears, red coattails with lacey gold details, a cream ribbon fashioned into a bowtie with a jewel hanging from it, and two twinkling black eyes. These were all traits donned by a small stuffed bear. It flapped it's small angel wings, waving a red staff with gold star-shaped details. It warded off some stray sparkles in the air, and struck a cutesy pose.

"W-what is that…?"

"It looks like a teddy bear?"

"That's riiight! I'm a soft, fuzzy teddy bear!" It did a little twirl before bowing formally. "Magical Miracle Boy ★ Ukuma! Or, my much easier to transcribe nickname, Ukuma!"

We just glanced around at each-other, trying to determine if we were all seeing the same thing.

"A… Stuffed bear that can talk and dance? That sounds…"

"COMPLETELY ABSURD! WHAT IS THAT THING!?"

"Eh? A 'thing'? How insensitive…" I couldn't tell if his saddened tone was mocking or not.

"Then what the Hell are you?"

"Weeell, just like any of you! I'm alive!" He pumped up a fist.

"W-what do you mean alive…? You're a toy."

The plush flailed his arms around "I'm a living bear! Mere toys can't even get a degree in education!"

"'Degree in education'? Are you-"

"Your teacher!" You could practically see the cheeriness sparking off of him, like a cheap firework. "Not only that, I'm also your charming chaperone for this year's school trip! This is gonna be our best one yet!" 

"Hold on! Slow down! Did you say 'school trip'?"

"Mhm!" He raised the staff above his head "All aboooard! You might want to hold onto something for this part!"

The wand stirred the air, gathering a shimmering swirl of sparkles that illuminated the darkening room. The floor beneath us began to shake violently like a nasty earthquake. Harsh sunlight spilled from the ceiling as it split open slowly, until the walls fell over, the whole room unfolding like a takeout box. My eyes took their time adjusting to the new scene around us. Rolling blue waves, glistening crystal sand, the smell of palm trees baking in the sun, the song of seagulls soaring high above, the gentle lull of ukulele music. Paradise. Like something a salaryman would conjure up in his daydreams, pure tropical paradise.

"W-w-waaaAAAAH!?"

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"H-HOW!?"

The students vocalised my exact reaction, before I could even open my mouth.

"Hey, hey! Kids!" The bear called out to our panicking class. "Quit screaming! Do you even realize where you are!? Look around!" He gestured into the tropical air.

"B-but, where? Why? What!?"

"First off, we're at the beach! I thought that part was obvious." He patted down the wrinkles in his tuxedo jacket. "Third, this is the grand school trip! Woop, woop!"

He keeps saying school trip over and over like it answers anything, but…

"But why? Why are we out here? Why did that all just happen!?" I found a shout bubbling out of my throat.

He held a paw up to his tiny chin. "Wah??? Well, this is an important trip, of course! This will be important to all of you as students!" He twisted around, resting his head onto the side of his staff. "Don't worry! I won't require you to do any school work!"

Like that's the part we're worried about.

"Buuut, I do have one important task to ask of you all while we're here!" Twirling around, he produced a small stack of translucent blue devices in his paws. He hopped down from the podium and passed them out to each student as he continued his explanation "I want you all to hang out! Play Yahtzee! Kiss! Whatever! As long as you can grow and maintain lasting bonds with each-other." 

I lingered a moment when he got to me, taking my time before grabbing the offered device. It was like some sort of small, high-tech tablet. It felt cold in my hands as I searched for a power button, finally discovering a sensor just below the main screen. I was greeted with a menu of options, including the rules, a map, and information regarding my classmates. 

"This eHandbook will help you keep track of your relationship progress! This is measured out in these little gem shards called Hope Fragments." Holding out his own eHandbook, there displayed was the silhouette of a flower-like shape. He pointed at it as he explained "As you become closer and closer with your classmates, you'll soon find yourself slowly filling in the missing pieces. This is the main goal of the Heart-Throbbing School Trip!"

"I don't like the sound of that name…"

He raised his paws "I'll entrust you'll read the rules whenever you get the chance, but for now, you all have to explore the island and get yourselves acquainted with each other!" He lowered one paw and pumped out the other one in a fist. "Let the Heart-Throbbing School Trip begin!"

With that, he hopped into the air and poofed off in a cloud of glitter. With no further instruction to distract me, I was left alone with my thoughts. It finally began to hit me with otherworldly this entire experience has been. Reality as I knew it was suddenly twisting into something strange, almost sinister. What should only ever happen in fiction was suddenly real. I really couldn't process this all at once, it all my strength to keep my consciousness afloat. As I struggled to keep myself standing, to keep myself from blacking out right then and there, I watched the blurred vision of the other Ultimates slowly drifting away. By the time I regained my senses, I was alone on the beach.


	2. Prologue - 2

… What am I supposed to do now?

I get it, I must've made a complete fool of myself just now, but just being completely left behind isn't the greatest feeling. I took the opportunity to get a better look around me. It really was a beautiful beach. The sunlight was just pleasantly warm, with any uncomfortable heat being cancelled out with a gentle breeze. It reflected gold off of the waves and sand… 

I've traveled to many different beaches for work, but nothing quite this... Perfect.

It was too perfect, in fact.

I needed to take my mind off of this. Akuma wanted us to meet each-other, right? Knowing as little as I do about that thing, I couldn't risk making him upset. I thought it'd be best to leave the beach. The only sign of life around me was a small flock of seagulls gathering in the sand. That was until, however, a shadow stretched over them from across the beach. Next thing I knew, something slammed into the flock, causing them to fly off in a cloud of sand and dust. 

After it all dissipated… I could make out a girl. She pulled her head out of the sand and stood up, stiffly due to her tight kimono.

Adjusting her sandals in the unsteady terrain, the student rested a hand on her hip and grumbled to herself. "Man!" She paused briefly to stick a pinkie in her ear "I would've totally gotten them that time…" 

I came a few steps closer. She must've heard me crunching the sand as she twirled around, stopping to face me. "Heeey!" It caused me to jump a little, but I settled down quickly as she continued "Aren't you that dude that almost passed out?".

I hoped to god that wasn't what I'd be remembered as. "Uh, yeah?" I scritched the back of my neck "I mean, it wasn't really-"

"Nah, I gotcha." Her nonchalant words saved me from endless rambling. "I mean, why are we even on this island?"

Nervously, I half-whispered "Island?".

"Yeah. Didn't you hear what that weird dog said?" She continued to adjust some fake flowers in her ponytail until her eyes shot back open. "Oh! Speaking of, we gotta introduce ourselves."

"Yeah… I'm Hajime Hinata, The Ultimate Photographer."

"Wait, you're an Ultimate too?" A broad grin spread across her face "The name's Akane Owari, the Ultimate Traditional Dancer."

With introductions out of the way, I finally had to ask "So… What were you doing with those seagulls back there?"

"Duh! Tryin' to catch one!" She stretched out to pop her shoulders as she spoke "I mean, do you ever just… See a bird outside, and wonder 'could I just go up and grab one'? I mean, this is my only real opportunity to try."

I've never really thought at all, but I was glad that someone got mileage out of this situation. I turned, about to leave, when I got a sudden idea. "Hey! Akane?"

"Watcha need?"

Pulling it up by the shoulder strap, I got a grip on my camera "Would you mind posing for a photo? Real quick?"

"Oh, totally! What do ya need me to do?"

"Just do whatever you want." I finished wiping off the lense and held the camera to my eyes.

Excitement sparked in her eyes as she began to move. Turning her back to me, she draped her hand over her forehead, propped a foot up behind her, threw her gaze over her shoulder and completed it all with a wide, goofy grin. She must be used to professional shoots, because this is the type of dynamic posing they'd always be looking for, but I felt it still had her own flair.

After taking a few seconds to find the right angle, my hands went statue-still as I clicked, taking a shot with the flash off.

As soon as the shutter noise went off, Akane's body went limp and a vibrating sensation went off on my thigh. I pulled the eHandbook out of my pocket and switched it on. It immediately brought me to the student info screen with a notification at the top: "Hope Fragment Achieved!"

This was my first time getting a proper look at the screen. While saying my goodbyes and wandering off the beach, I decided to take a look through the tab. It contained small sections for every student present among me. Most of the profiles were completely blanked out, except for Akane's. To the left of her portrait was her basic info, such as measurements and birthday, but I was only really interested in one part.

Likes: Roughhousing, Onigiri

Dislikes: Working overtime

Huh.

After looking through the profiles again, I determined that I'd get a Fragment for each person I meet, as well as their basic info. This'd make introductions alot easier. As soon as I looked up from the device, I saw a tall statue looming above.

It was bronze, labelled with a plaque that had it's writing scratched up, rendering it illegible. The statue consisted of some sort of warrior mounted on a horse, in the middle of battle with a tiger, a giant serpent and a hawk. It's size surely meant it was important to the island, but I couldn't quite figure out how…

"Strange statue, isn't it?"

I flinched hard enough to bounce on my heels, scared by the unexpected voice. I began turning around "Uh… Yeah! Real we-"

Out of everything I've seen today, this wasn't the most unimaginable thing, but probably the most bizarre. Standing before me was a face you can't mistake. One of the most famous popstars in Japan, Byakuya Togami.

He was a top celebrity, award-winner, heartthrob to school kids all over the nation, all at just 16. He comes from a line of famous vocalists, but he was the most relevant of them. Here he was, standing right in front of me, pushing his signature wayfarer eyeglasses to his face. I'd normally be startstruck, but things were just getting too weird.

"Something the matter?" He asked in an odd tone, tilting his head and resting a finger on his chin.

"U-uh, no! It's just…"

"Odd seeing me here, huh?" He brushed some blonde hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear. "I get it." He began pacing around in a slight march. "I tried to decline their invitation to this school, it's really a waste of time. But they insisted that my talents were worth studying…" glancing over his shoulder to me, he bore a strange expression across his face. "And who am I to deny an avid fan?"

"If you're enrolled as a student, then… what even is your Ultimate talent?"

He held a shrug, slowly walking up to me "The Ultimate Pop Sensation, of course. I wouldn't expect such a dull boy to recognize that kind of fame." 

I wasn't too surprised, really. This guy was in his own world, and it was one far above mine. He's alot more sweet and charming on the cameras. 

"Well…" I raised my camera. In a combination of his ego and his mere presence disturbing me, I didn't want to have to talk to him much longer. "Do you mind if I get your picture?"

He stood there for a minute, completely still with a blank stare. Before I could register it, he suddenly wrapped me uncomfortably tight in his arm. "Of course you want a picture."

He's probably used to fans wanting selfies instead of normal shots. To save us both time, I held the camera up to point the lense towards us, as he held up a 'V' in his fingers and smiled wide. I'm experienced with taking photos like this, but it sure is a pain in the ass. I could only hope that I had the right angle.

After clicking the shot, mouthing a thank you and stashing the resulting polaroid, I was in a hurry to leave the park. I sped out past the beach, and onto a huge bridge at its side. I decided to look at the student info again as I was crossing, pulling the eHandbook back out. Surely enough, a Fragment and new info was put to Byakuya's picture.

Likes: Frappuccinos

Dislikes: Fans

Yikes.

I surprisingly hadn’t looked at it much yet, but I found my eyes lingering on his portrait, making out details I hadn’t noticed before. He was pale. Really pale. Not even like “His European roots are showing” pale, white. Like a sheet of paper. Was he that pale when I was with him? He must’ve come down with something when this was being shot. I guess it’s predictable that they’d find a professionally-taken photograph for his info page, but something was different about this. Something almost familiar. The dull lighting glinting warm off his glasses, the head-on angle, the completely disinterested stare…

This wasn’t just some professional photography.

This was a yearbook photo.

But… How? I began to swipe through the other classmates. Though the info was blank, the images are there from the start. Surely enough, they were all identical aside from the subjects in them; even my own. But how did they get these images? When did we-

Before I knew it, I felt all of my weight balancing on one foot. It was like time slowed down when I felt my foot losing traction, myself falling over. My whole body pushed my right knee into the concrete sidewalk below, causing it to scrape terribly as the coarse texture tore into my skin. This was probably the worst moment to be wearing shorts in. I just layed there on the ground for a moment, slowly getting myself to sit up. The pain from my throbbing head and the rawness of my knee mixed into something unbearable. The sound of me sucking in air wasn’t broken, until I could hear the sound of shoes clopping on the sidewalk, getting closer.

“GODDAMNIT!” I vaguely saw someone small and thin crouch beside me, mumbling obscenities as he dug into some sort of case. Getting a better look, it was an underweight boy with bright bleached hair shuffling through a first aid kit. His babyish features would’ve had me mistaking him for a small child, if it wasn’t for the maturity in his pale eyes. “Get closer.” he commanded through gritted teeth, before grabbing the crook of my leg and pulling my knee towards him. I settled myself on my palms in the ground behind me, as I watched him work on my wound. He began by applying pressure with a cloth to absorb any remaining bleeding; seeing the fabric dyed a bright fuchsia wasn’t a comforting site. It stung heavily as he washed off the skin with water from a disposable water bottle. Throughout the whole process, he was uncomfortably quiet until he was wrapping my knee in gauze. “Dumbass. This wouldn’t’ve happened if you just watched where you were going, y’know.”

“I was just-”

“Distracted? Tch. Yeah, heard that one before.” He worked to place used supplies back in his kit. “This won’t get infected, but it damn well might next time.”

“Uhh… Thank you?”

“Don’t mention it.” he slowly started to get up.

“Do you have a name?”

He glared down with sharp eyes, until his body untensed in a deep sigh. “The name’s Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu. Just so we’re clear, if you turn out to be some sort of fuckin’ mega klutz, don’t expect me to be there for you all the time.”

“Gotcha.” I mumbled as I got to my feet, pulling the camera to my chest. “Hey, would mind posing for a picture?”

With a drawn-out sigh. He brought his hands to his hips, leaning over a bit and looking up, causing a shadow to cast over his big eyes. “Make it quick.”

I snapped a photo, snagging the polaroid and storing it away. I couldn’t help but enjoy his posing technique there. After it was all said and done, he eyed me funny.

“How about your name, camera boy?” he poked me in the chest, but otherwise patiently awaited my response.

“I’m Hajime Hinata.” I replied, rather delayed.

With a ‘tch’, he turned and walked off. “I guess I’ll see you around, Hajime.”

I didn’t get the chance to respond as he disappeared across the island. Odd guy. I knew I had to look his info up right away. It didn’t take long to navigate to his profile, 8-year-old face in my midst. 

Likes: Celery with peanut butter 

Dislikes: Milk

I didn’t really have any reaction to his preferences, since something else caught my eye.

Ultimate Nurse

… It makes sense. I mean, he didn’t tell me, but I guess he wouldn’t have to. Despite his sailor mouth, he was surprisingly-

“YOU!”

Oh boy. I found myself immediately flipping the eHandbook down, bracing myself for whoever owned that accusatory shout. Just across the street was a tall boy, his posture held stiff and his mismatched eyes wide. There seemed to be another student behind him, but the boy’s striking boldness kept my eyes on him. His tattered hoodie flowed with the breeze as he minded me with a cocky smirk. “We have yet to cross paths, human.”

“Uh, yeah? I guess we haven’t met.”

“Hmmm…” he hummed low, putting his hand up to his mouth, contemplative. “Most humans would fear returning my calls, preoccupied with cowering in my shadow.” he held his hand up, clenching it in a tight fist “Fine, then! Your remarkable courage has granted you access to my name! Remember it, as forgetting my title may seal your fate.” Drawing in a breath, he gestured grandly “To your mortal comprehension, I am GUNDHAM TANAKA! Heir to the mortal plane’s throne, and the grand puppeteer of fortune!”

“‘Grand puppeteer of fortune’…?” For some reason, that was the only part that had me asking questions.

Crossing his arms, he cracked a small grin “Exercising my power in small doses to twist my future, truly this is the secret art of Gundham Tanaka. With concentrated surges of dark magic, I can make my mortal fate reach the very ends of the fortune spectrum: Pure luck, and complete misfortune!” I could somewhat make out the student behind him sighing along in embarrassment. “In a stroke of grand luck, my fear-striking name was pulled in a drawing. They had no choice but to enroll me in this academy of mastery! I come forth bearing the title… ‘Ultimate Lucky Student’!”

Accepted into Hope’s Peak… By a drawing? No mastery over talent necessary, just pure luck!? Is that really okay...? I could only assume he was lying about the last part.

Gundham was nudged aside, as his cohort stiffly stepped forward. 

They were... overweight, to say the least. Their face bore an odd mix of apprehension and serenity, as they fought to push their wavy black hair out of it. After a moment of hesitation, they spoke up. 

“Do you have a talent?”

“... Huh?” The odd first comment caught me off-guard.

“It’s a simple question.” They remarked with startling assertion.

“Uhh, yeah! I’m Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Photographer.” I smiled to show a little confidence. “How about you?”

It probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, as the question made their gray eyes become even duller as they turned to Gundham. “He remembers, too.”

… Huh?

‘Remember’?

My confusion must’ve been plastered across my face, as The Ultimate Lucky Student spoke to explain. “Observe, puny human! This human’s misfortune is a sight to behold!” he planted a hand on their broad shoulder “They have been cursed with a wicked hex! For an uncountable amount of moons, their memories have been wiped clean of all mortal identity! They can’t remember their home, their age, their gender, their Ultimate talent… They can’t even remember their own name!”

...Huh???

I was about to ask if this was true, but the look on their face answered my question.

“It’s not a big deal.” They sighed “It’s just bad amnesia, that’s all.”

How are they not more worried about this? But more importantly…

“So… You don’t have a name?” 

“That’s correct.”

“Hm.” I already had an idea, but I thought it’d look better if I pretended to think it out more. “Do you have any… Nicknames yet?

“A nickname?” their voice rose slightly in sudden interest. “... No. I’m afraid not.”

“Why don’t we give you one?” Their face bore intrigue as they turned to fully face me. “How does… Haishiro sound?”

“Haishiro…?”

“Gray. Kinda like your eyes.” I couldn’t help but grin at my cleverness.

Their whole expression lit up as they clenched their fists. It took them a moment to mutter out. “Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“I suspect this will clear up any further confusion during my time here.” Haishiro stated dryly, somewhat grinning.

“Glad to help, I guess.” I moved to grab my camera. “Oh! Before I forget… How about a picture?”

“HAH! Oblige me in your degenerative human technology!” Gundham stepped a few spaces from the other student, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest in a proud pose. Nearby, Haishiro struck their own sort of pose, though it consisted of them just stiffening up and raising their hand in a still waving gesture. 

I snapped separate photos of them both, stuffing them away. My eHandbook shivered as I pulled it out. Gundham is really all you’d expect from someone like him.

Likes: Gambling

Dislikes: Earthly Life

Same goes for Haishiro, though it’s weird seeing some spots still filled with question marks.

Likes: Junk Food

Dislikes: Crowds

I tucked the device away, waving as I turned to leave. “I’ll see you guys later. I need to go find other students...”


	3. Prologue - 3

Pressure, on either side of my skull. Holding onto my cheekbones for dear life. It was two forces. Soft, but not warm. Rather cold, even. I gazed forward where my head was held, and two twinkling black buttons stared back.

"EEP!" He was seemingly suspended in the air, but whatever was holding him there suddenly dropped him with a dull thud. The more time I spent around the stuffed bear, the more questions his mere existence brings up. Nothing about him made sense. Not what he was, not what he did, what he said… nothing. He was a work of fiction. I could feel my stomach ache with anxious nausea as I looked at him. "Sorry, Hajime. I-"

"H-HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME!?" I felt my immediate thoughts spill out in a yell.

"... Yeesh! I'm your teacher, y'know. I'd be a pretty shitty teacher if I just up and" he gestured, making a popping and whistle noise with his mouth to signify… something "forgot!"

I couldn't let his redundant wording work on me "Teacher. You keep saying that."

"Eh?"

"You keep claiming to be our teacher. I don't know about you, but I don't remember reading that Hope's Peak employed talking plushies." I weaved my arms together, crossing them.

Hesitating, he gazed with a dejected shine in his resin peepers. The way he could convey emotion so well hurt to think about. "That's discrimination."

"... Discrimination? Against a toy?"

His face glowed a dim red "I am not a toy!"

"You're a teddy bear, right?."

"Yeah, why?"

"Aren't teddy bears toys?"

The redness soon consumed his whole face. I didn't even know how that was possible without blood. "Alright, smartass! If you're really concerned that 'toys' can't be teachers… Then how am I alive?"

I stood dead in my tracks, a look of sudden realization frozen on my face. He got me. I would normally dismiss him as one of those expensive electronic toys, but he was far too lifelike. Too real. If I wasn't thinking about it, it even felt like I was just talking to another person. What… was he?

His eyes widened as he waved his paws dismissively "Ok, ok. Please, don't start having an existential breakdown! Ahem." A staff pointed at the run-down cabin behind him "The reason I had to stop ya there, Kazuichi, is because-"

"Kazuichi!?"

"AGH! I mean Hajime! Sorry!" How do you even mix up those two names? "Look, I'd love to let you in here, but the whole building is under renovations! I don't want ya cutting yourself on broken glass, or falling through the floor!"

Why… did he care about it? I could only think that I was brought here for a malicious reason, so why was my safety any of his concern? It must be a trick. He must be trying to play me like some sort of pawn. "Why do you care?"

What looked like sweat dripped down his plastic fur "Because I care about you!? This is intended to be a safe and fun environment; if one of you got seriously injured, I'd never forgive myself."

"Yeah, bu-" I was cut off by the sound of nearby footsteps, I could make out some students filing into the hotel lobby. This wasn't a secret conversation, by any means, but I felt this sense of discomfort pound in my brain at the thought of talking like this around other students. "Hey, uh, Mr. Ukuma?"

His eyes shimmered with stars at the formality "Yeah, Hajime?"

Most people had good conversation starters, but I had a conversation ender. "Do you... Want a picture?"

He hopped, waving his little arms around "Of course! Who wouldn't want a picture of such a charming little mascot?" I was only willing to believe that he had some sort of ego, but something in his voice told me that he was genuinely joking around. He balanced himself on one foot, and held his wand above him, even spreading his wings out a tiny bit. It was a merchandise-ready pose, to be sure.

*SNAP!*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your support!  
> Having a bit of trouble with the next full chapter, so have a short interaction for now. I guess this is sorta filler, but more important than that.


	4. Prologue - 4

16 students.

That’s how many cabins there were.

16 students, including myself, are residing on this island.

Take away myself and all the students I’ve already met, there’s 10 students I needed to find.

See, dad? I’m good at math.

I’m surprised that I’ve met five already, it really didn’t seem like that many. Looking back, I suppose that I met them in a pretty rapid sequence of events. How rapid would this next set be? I know, this is starting to sound like one long chore, but I really couldn’t see it like that. Every person so far had been so interesting to talk to… I couldn’t help but let it keep my intrigue. 

A gust of warm air overtook me as I walked through the hotel entrance. The lobby felt rather cozy, not even two steps in. There was a standard reception desk with a couch area to my left, and a small arcade to my right. It may have seemed puny compared to what I’m used to, but something about it just sat right with me. I finally had noticed a girl. She was alone, lounging atop a loveseat next to the reception desk, her knees held to her chest. I took a seat on the armrest as she began to notice me.

“Oh!” she swung her legs over to sit properly “Have we met?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Ah…” her blue eyes sparkled as she caught a glimpse of my camera “Aha! Are you a photographer, perhaps?”

I gently placed my hands on the camera “Yeah. How about your talent?”

“I knew it!” she smiled warmly, getting up from her seat “I don’t mean to ‘one-up’ as they say, but…” she turned to me, pulling something from a scabbard strapped to her back. It was a bamboo sword. She grasped the handle in both hands, holding the butt at her lower stomach, the tip tilted towards me. “I, myself, am a kendo master.”

Well, that was certainly one-upping if I’ve ever seen it. A master of a martial art puts any nerdy boy with a camera to shame! “That’s incredible!”

“Do you really think so?” she slid the sword back in it’s sheath and bowed to me “My name is Sonia Nevermind. You?”

Sonia Nevermind? “That sounds… Very European.”

“Indeed. I’m not from Japan, natively.” clasping her hands together, she sighed “I moved from a small European nation called Novoselic.”

“Isn’t it pretty hard for a foreigner to learn Japanese combat? Let alone, master it?”

“I cannot argue with that. It was no easy foot.”

“Feat.” I corrected her.

“Yes, my apologies. It’s just, I have always been so enthused by Japanese culture, and the art of kendo had really spoken to me.” placing a hand to her chest, she grinned “I tried my hardest!”

“Would you mind holding out again like you did?” I held my camera to my chest, and she got the notion.

She replicated the stance from before, this time turning her body a bit from me to achieve a more dynamic angle. As she did, she smiled brightly into the camera.

I snapped the photo and we waved eachother off. As I was ascending up the stairs, she spoke to me again “I’ll be seeing you-... Err... What is your name?”

I stopped and hollered back over my shoulder “Hajime Hinata!” before continuing the climb upstairs.

“Right. I’ll be seeing you, Hajime!” my eHandbook buzzed as she said that.

My feet met with a tiled floor as I caught a whiff of a sweet scent. Before me was the scene of a tropical, open-country diner. I guess it’s pretty expected for a hotel set in the middle of an island. Inhabiting was two other kids; one sitting in a booth to stare off out the window, and another in the middle, attention focused elsewhere. I approached the one closest to me.

She had her hand shielding her eyes as she leaned in all sorts of directions. Her face was tense with focus as she hummed a sing-song. I didn’t really see what she was staring at as I tapped at her shoulder. Her brightly-highlighted hair swayed as she turned to face the source of the poking. 

“Oh, oh!” the surprise quickly melted from her face as she grinned “Hullooo!” her arms bounced like a penguin flapping its wings. “That’s right! Introductions! Let’s get this show on the road! I say Ibuki, you say Mioda! Ibuki!”

“...Mioda?”

“Ibuki!”

“Mioda.”

“Ibuki!”

“Mioda!”

“Ibuki!”

“MIODA!”

“Ibuki?”

“Mioda?”

“Ibuki.”

“Mioda.”

“Iiibuki.”

“Miiioda.”

“WOOHOO! You got it, stranger!” she pumped a fist into the air. “Do you have a name? Mr. Stranger Guy?”

“It’s Hajime.”

“Hajimeee!” She stuck out her tongue and knocked on her head “Got it!”

She had so much energy. It really was hard to keep up with. “Hey… So what were you staring at just now?” I asked.

“Oooh!” swiftly turning, she pointed at a door at the wall “Glasses boy in there promised Ibuki a snack for Mohawk! I wanna watch, but it’s hard to see from here!” She shielded her eyes and went back to staring, for emphasis. 

“... Mohawk? Who’s that?”

As if en que, a tiny head popped out of Ibuki’s fluffy hair, jumping out and onto her outstretched fingers. It was a standard grey cockatiel. It bobbed it’s head in time with it’s wings as it perched. “Mohawk!” Ibuki punctuated it’s introduction with a shout.

“You have a live bird with you!?”

“Yup!”

“Is that even allowed!?”

“Nope!” She stroked its head with her free hand, it puffed out its feathers and got comfortable in response. “Ibuki had to smuggle her!”

“... Smuggle!?” I shook my head and let loose a deep sigh. “Ok… I’m not going to deal with that right now... What were we talking about?”

“The boy in the kitchen!”

“Ok. If you can’t see him from afar and past a closed door… Then why don’t you just go in?”

She rubbed her chin with her finger, contemplating. Her head perked up "Ooooh! Why haven't I thought of that!?"

Without warning, she grabbed my hand and led me to the door, stopping right before it. Placing her hand on the knob, she turned her head to me and whispered something. Unfortunately, her whispering was so overly quiet that I couldn't heed what she had to say, but she was dragging me into the room anyways. I was immediately met with a faceful of aromatic steam, crackling noises in the air. All I could see of the boy was his messy brown hair and his back, as he was focused on the stovetop. He didn't even acknowledge us walking in. Aside from the noise of cooking, an awkward silence hung in the air. At last, it was harshly broken.

"HAIII!" Ibuki yelled to the boy. His shoulders shot up on surprise, followed by a long, terrible sizzling noise. He stood, his arms trembling until-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" He let loose a terrible yell, jumping back and beginning to stumble backwards around the cramped kitchen. He flapped a burned hand wildly as he bumped into a counter, bouncing off of it and bumping into another, and then another. Finally, one of the collisions caused him to slip off of his feet, and fall on his ass. He looked up at me, adjusting his crooked round glasses and letting slip a nervous chuckle. 

I heard Ibuki turn off the stove behind me as I stepped forward. "Are you ok!?"

He scratched the back of his head with his uninjured hand "Yeah! Nothing I'm not used to…" grabbing onto the edges of the counters for support, he pulled himself to his feet. As he was struggling halfway, given his stinging hand, I grabbed him by the forearms and pulled him up. "Gee, thanks- Uh…"

"Hajime. Hajime Hinata."

"Hajime!" He flashed a toothy grin "I'm not quite used to being helped like that." He extended a hand "The name's Kazuichi Soda! I'm the Ultimate Cook. Nice to meet ya!" He retracted the hand a moment to flap it more for good measure, but held it back out once again.

I gently accepted the hand, trying to mind the burn, and shook it. Ibuki spoke up behind me "Sooo… What's cooking, Soda-Pop!?"

"I was just finishing up on some hashbrowns! Well, I guess I never got the chance to properly finish, but-"

"That's ok! Mohawk has low standards!" She effortlessly picked up the hot frying pan and beamed, scurrying out of the room with it. 

I blinked a few times. "Well, there goes that…" 

"Aha, yeah… At least I don't have to formulate bird food!" He combed his hair back with his fingers. "Maybe I should make pancakes, instead? Ooo, Heck yeah! Extra syrup!" he pumped his fists with a spark of energy in his eyes.

I took a pan from the countertop and placed it in his hand. "Hold that for me." Stepping back, I brought the camera to my face. He put his free hand to his hip, and held up the pan with a wide smile. I snapped the photo, my eHandbook going off in sync.

As I walked out of the kitchen, Ibuki badgered me into getting her picture as well; even though I was about to do it, anyway. One hand held her perched bird (who had a scrap of hashbrown in its mouth) up to her cheek, and the other held a ‘V’ sign to her eye. 

I brought out my eHandbook as I settled into the nearest booth. Usually I was good with checking them, but I let three students pile up in the notifications. I read them to myself in chronological order.

Likes: Occult, Japan

Dislikes: Wasabi

Sonia Nevermind seems like an intelligent person, though Japanese being her second language does set her back. I’ll probably come to find her rather reliable, and maybe I could learn more about her overseas history.

Likes: Walking, Gaming, Mohawk

Dislikes: Boredom

Ibuki Mioda doesn’t seem like the most reliable kid, but what she lacks in that regard she makes up for in energy. As questionable as she may be, I admittedly have fun talking to her.

Likes: Cola

Dislikes: Sugar Substitute 

He seems nice… I think? I wonder how he gets his cooking done if he’s so jumpy. Not to mention, I thi-

“The eHandbook, huh?” I jumped, slamming the device down on the table as a voice rang in front of me. It was a girl sitting on the other side of the booth. She seemed notably out of it as she rested her cheek on her hand.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t know this seat was taken.”

“...”

“...”

“... It’s fine. I could probably use the company.” She rested both hands on the table and straightened up slightly. 

I leaned back in the seat “Y-yeah. I don’t think this’d be as easy without it.” 

“...” She blinked. “... How many students have you met so far?”

“Oh, eight. You?”

“... About everyone so far, aside from you.”

“Already!? But it’s only the afternoon!” That was impressive.

“... I guess I’m quick on my feet.” I couldn’t say the same for the rest of her.

“Well, why don’t we complete your handbook?” I held out a hand over the table “I’m Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Photographer.”

“...” She stared quietly at my hand for a moment, before finally taking it and shaking “Chiaki Nanami. Ultimate Mechanic.” She looked at my camera and the back up at me. “... Y’know, if you ever need a fix-up for your camera there… I’m your gal. Bring it to me whenever I’m not taking a power nap.”

I grabbed it “Oh, thanks. I definitely will.” I guess it’s pretty predictable what a photographer’s going to do when they bring a camera to their face, so I stopped having to say anything at that point. Chiaki rested her cheek back on her palm, mustering a small smile. I snapped it, and checked the eHandbook again as it buzzed on the table.

Likes: Cars (even crappy models)

Dislikes: Alarm Clocks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just wanted to note that, though I'll try to get chapters done as soon as I can, there won't be a set schedule for when new chapters are released. Please bear with me! I realize that the character introductions have been dragging on for a while, but I really think they'll be important for this longfic.  
> I promise, the action is coming soon. Feel free to speculate for now!  
> Thank you for your support. <3


	5. Prologue - 5

So… These are the Ultimates, huh? 

I mean, it's natural that they'd all be so... Eccentric. It'd be pretty weird if they didn't stick out much. I guess I expected more refinement. Superiority. Regality. When you read about them in the media, or passed one by on the street, that's what it always seemed. When you're a master, it's your best opportunity to let loose…

Orange skies set over the island, before I even knew it. The eHandbook read 7:02 PM, which roughly translates to "You're slow! Hurry it up!". Squinting over the area, I spotted a supermarket, easily sticking out with it's obnoxiously-lit 'Rocket Punch!' sign. The breeze was refreshing as I half-jogged/half-ran down the street. Jingling from the doors and my slight fatigue panting brought all attention on me. There were two other souls in the supermarket. I don't know if it was a good thing that I interrupted them or not, as it seems they were going at each-others throats. Literally. 

I watched as the taller redhead released her violent grasp on the short brunette's collar. They exchanged huffs as they regained their composers and fully turned. The tension was thick in the air as their eyes burned holes into me. 

The brunette gestured to me, and looked to his classmate with a twisted smirk "See? I'm magnetic. It's like they can't keep away…"

"Stop saying that! Do you even realize what you sound like right now!?" The sternness in her tone felt like falling cinder blocks.

"Mhm…" he seemed to tune her out, daydreaming while dragging a comb through his hair. With every stroke, the hair just bounced back into its untamable messiness. 

With their conflicting flavors of stubbornness, whatever argument happened between them seemed to be a stalemate. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Still, I couldn't help but feel I was being rude. I managed to give them the most awkward wave in human history. 

Shoes clicked aggressively across the floor, the redhead approaching. "Sorry about him. He's been all kinds of nasty about our classmates…" I was going to respond, until a finger poked into my chest "But don't think you're off the hook! Where's our apology?" … huh?

"Sorry! Um… What am I sorry about?"

"For interrupting us! What if this was important?" She poked the finger in a few more times, for good measure.

"... Sorry for walking into a community building, I guess."

"Jeeze!" She grumbled coarsely, planting her hands on her hips "You need to take responsibility."

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned genuinely.

"What I mean is that you should stop nodding along and making excuses! If we were anywhere else, that kind of attitude would get you killed." Gritting her teeth, she spoke her last sentence with a cutting sharpness "You are a man, right? Act like one."

"Ah- ah! Now, now!" Her classmate came forward, audibly uncertain. "Don't you think you're being too harsh, Mahiru? After all, soft and sweet can be the prettiest sound…"

She pinched the bridge of her nose "Stop that. He needs to be more manly, and you need to stop thinking everything's about-"

"Mahiru?" I unintentionally cut her off.

She turned to me fully, eyelids slack "Mahiru Koizumi"

Koizumi!? "Don't tell me… THAT Koizumi?"

One of the most powerful mobs in the country, rumored to have over 10K members and counting, the Koizumi Clan!? "... Yes, you heard me. I'm the Ultimate Yakuza. I'm not a proper yakuza yet, but don't mess with the name."

Enrolled as an Ultimate… For a birthright? If she's recognized as the 'Ultimate Yakuza', then surely she must be particularly skilled with that shady dirty work. And that's not a comfortable thought…

"Don't give me that look! You may be completely unreliable, but you're no threat." She pulled a lock of her pixie cut behind her ear, staring me straight in the eyes. It took a few good seconds of her frigid glare before she'd turn and gesture to the other student "Him, however? I can't trust this pathetic excuse of a boy with half of the population…"

"More like, you shouldn't trust half of the population with me!" He chuckled his response "Or even all of the population, for that matter. Nobody can resist a rockstar." 

"A… Rockstar?" I prompted him to clarify.

"My name is Teruteru Hanamura. On the streets, I'm known as the Ultimate Musician… But could you all call me the Ultimate Rockstar instead? Much more indicative of my fashionable urban image, y'know?" 

"Uh… Sure?" 

A groan erupted from Mahiru's throat "See? Look what you've done!"

"Relax! He just hasn't had time to warm up to me."

"As if anyone could stomach 'warming up' to you. And don't start saying 'I know how to warm them up' again!"

I… Could barely understand what they were saying. I was thrusted into a purely observant role as their argument dissolved into mindless bickering. I watched as the aggression between them grew so thick, that I had no place to step in. I could only listen as their shouting echoed, haunting down the seeming endlessness of the giant supermarket. As if time paused when I walked in, and I had just hit resume, I witnessed the mobster's hand resume it's previous position, curled around the rockstar's t-shirt collar and pulling him off his feet. A few more inaudible shouts exchanged, in Mahiru's stern lecture and Teruteru's suave, now somewhat anxious tone. Her shoulder began to move, pulling her clenched fist behind her and she wound up her arm; the jewels on her rings pricked up like spikes across her fingers, it would've done massive, unnecessary damage to his squishy face if not for-

"GUYS!" My voice sprung to life on it's own "WAIT!" Mahiru froze with surprise, allowing Teruteru to naturally slip out of her weakened grasp. That was embarrassing, trying to bud in where I'm not involved! I always try not to do that, but I feel if I didn't, this would've been much more baggage than a simple social dysfunction… Regardless, I needed a distraction before this turned back into violence. "How about… A picture?"

"A picture…?" The redhead echoed.

"I'm Hajime Hinata, the Ultimate Photographer." I held the camera up beside my head. "I've been snapping photos of everyone to help me get to know you all better."

"My, my… Photography? How intellectual." The brunette eyed me up and down thoroughly as he spoke, a little too thoroughly for comfort. Despite me saving him from being clocked in the face, he ended up with a bloody nose anyways. Gross.

"Well, alright. At least it's something." Stepping out a distance from herself and the rockstar, Mahiru crossed her arms and blanked out her expression into a professional poker face. After combing up his mane a tad, Teruteru struck his own pose, simply holding up a 'v' with a grin and a wink. It was an easy two clicks, as the handbook dinged in my pocket. 

"I'll see you guys later, alright?" I remarked as I made my way out, pulling the device out.

Likes: Travelling Alone

Dislikes: Disrespect

The yakuza of a massive gang? Mahiru Koizumi said I was no threat, but it seems like others may not get off as easy. With her snappiness, I may have to watch out for them...

Likes: Momma

Dislikes: Autotune

Ever meet someone that gives you the creeps, just from thinking about them? Teruteru Hanamura may not be the least friendly, but he sure has his whole head in the gutter. I won't expect too much, but I'll be keeping an eye on him.

As I set the tablet into my shorts, I looked ahead at the vast fencing I was approaching. The closer it got, the distinct smell of oatmeal and rotting grass came with it. My walk sped up into something of a skip as I turned the fence corner. At the front, the entrance was a simple gateless arch, allowing me to peak inside. There was a small field next to the barn lined with stalls, yet all there stood was a single cow, grazing alone. I looked around for any signage that’d indicate what kind of farm this was, but all that was legible was a hung sign that read ‘Ukuma Corral’. Was… That it? 

“Just a single cow…?”

“Yeesh! You’ve got that right, kid!” Before I could even realize it, our cherubic teddy bear ‘teacher’ had popped in out of seemingly nowhere. “This is pathetic! There’s just a fat cow, and that’s it!? What’s worse…” he waved his arms around “There aren't even any chickens! Meaning we don’t have any eggs..!” shaking a tiny clenched fist “How is anyone supposed to have a balanced breakfast without any eggs? No omelettes? No waffles? Not even any juice???” What kind of juice needs eggs to produce!? “I don’t like this! Fine, SCREW IT!” He aimed his wand. The air filled with obnoxious red glitter, like the whole world became a craft store dimension around him and the cow. 

“ABRACADABRA, HOCUS-POCUS! PUT THIS DESPAIR INTO FOCUS! ABRACADABRA, ALAKAZAM! MAKE IT HOPEFUL, SOMETHING GRAND! BY THE POWER OF LOVE AND TRUST, TURN THIS COW INTO A HEN TO MAKE THINGS JUST!” His sickly sweet magic words came out with surprising force, conjuring an aura to surround the unreactive cow. And, with a tap of his toyish wand, it all began to spark wildly around it. In the aftermath, a hen pecked at the ground where a bovine once stood. 

“B-BWWWAAAAAAAAAAH!?!?” That’s the only conceivable reaction I could muster. This was beyond illusion, or really any reasonable explanation. Changing a lifeform into another in an instant? Whatever this was, it was almost like… It was really magic.

“Phew! I guess it was a good call to bring in a chicken, ‘cause you’re starting to sound like one yourself!” he tapped the tip of my nose with his wand. “My work here is done!” And with that, he left me.

I was alone. Again. Left with the mind-numbing memory of what just happened, my eyes were drawn to Ukuma's 'victim'. I guess I was trying to see if there's any side effects of being transformed into an entirely new species, like mismatched body parts or leftover mooing. Watching it calmly scour the ground for grain, I determined that there was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just your run-of-the-mill chicken. This conclusion was almost... Comforting.

"KYAAAAH!" A scream echoed behind me. "I-It's not there!" I witnessed a girl run forward, kneeling beside the chicken "I… I thought it was! I'm sorry I misremembered…!" Tears formed in her eyes with a heavy flow, as a silvernette student calmy approached her from behind.

"It seems so." She adjusted her glasses. "It's fine. This wasn't entirely necessary, anyways. We can move on." An awkward moment settled across the farm, until the purplenette girl looked towards me.

"EEP! I-I didn't notice you were here! I must've bothered you! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"

"Woah! Calm down, it's alright!" I found myself placing my hands on the kid's shoulders. Her tense muscles quivered in the grasp, her wide eyes staring into mine.

The student clad in dark colors came closer "Look, it's alright. He isn't being aggressive like Byakuya or Hiyoko, right?" I hate hearing that name again, but the purplenette seemed to hate it more. Her gaze began to soften, before she calmly pulled away and returned to the other students side. The darker student tended to her braid before continuing "You're an Ultimate too, right?"

"Me?" She nodded "Yeah. I'm the Ultimate Photographer, Hajime Hinata."

"I see."

"Well… What brings you two here?"

"I… Miss Pekoyama and I found out we were both athletically inclined, so we wanted to train together! I thought I saw a cow we could p-practice with… But it's gone!" Her tears returned "I m-made my first friend… And I already messed it up!"

I waved a hand "That's not a big deal. I'm sure we could still be friends just fine."

"'We'!? You… want to be friends with me?"

"Of course! With everyone."

She smiled warmly and tapped her fingers together "Thank you very much. I’ve already made so many friends!" She stepped back. "My name is Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Gymnast."

Ultimate Gymnast? "That explains all the bandages…"

"Indeed." Her cohort spoke up. "Though she's beyond skilled, she has a proven tendency to slip and fall during her routines." She flicked some hair out of her face "I'm Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Team Manager, by the way."

“Nice to meet you both. Say, isn’t there anywhere else you could train?”

“W-we checked everywhere already, I think. The supermarket, the airport, the hotel-”

Hold on a minute! “Airport!?” 

“Yeah. There’s an airport down the street. Did you need to go there…? I’m s-sorry I hadn't informed you sooner.”

Well, I got to see that! “I need to go; but, real quick…” I brought my camera to my face.

“Eep! Y-you want my picture…?”

“Just go with it.” Her silvernette friend assured her.

Unlike the previous pairs, these two didn’t bother with splitting up for their own pictures. Peko simply placed her hand on Mikan’s shoulder for the pose. Snap, Ping, and I was done. I didn’t even get a chance to check the eHandbook as I waved them off and hurried down the road. Surely enough, I entered a small airport just right of the corral. The back wall of the inside was a large window, showing runways full of airplanes. That means…

“This must’ve been how we really got here.” Finally, something made sense! Well, everything has to make sense somehow, but I'm finally getting somewhere I'm used to-

“Nope!” a petite girl stepped forward, fixing the ruffles in her skirt. Her voice was shrill and childish as she spoke “That mechanic lady came by and said they were broken, and she couldn’t fix them!”

“What!?”

“I know! Right?” Her bright, dollish face twisted into something more sinister “How useless do you gotta be?”

I was taken back by the sudden tone shift “Hey, that’s not Chiaki’s fault! She’s an Ultimate, so it’s gotta be beyond repair.”

“Wow! That’s a shocker! She just seemed like some lazy bum toying with wrenches.” she snickered into her gloved hand.

“Stop that. Who do you think you are?”

“Hiyoko Saionji, Ultimate Princess of course!” She did a half-assed curtsey.

“Princess!? That’s a talent now!?” I accidentally said my thoughts out loud.

“Duh! I’m pretty popular, you know!”

“That’s not how it works! What are you even the princess of?”

My question sparked an unreadable expression in her “Whatever, I shouldn’t waste my time with a loser like you.” She started shuffling away. At first, I was glad I didn’t have to deal with her anymore, but then I remembered… Hey! I went after her, getting a grasp on my camera. I felt like some sort of paparazzi as I carefully stalked beside her, trying to make sure she didn't notice me and start running. Then, as I bolted and slid in front of her, I was able to click a quick shot of her candid face. I’m thankful her shock only set in after the flash.

“Hey! What was that!?” She tugged at the frills of her dress, agitated. Her smirk slowly returned “You must be some sort of creep, huh?”

“What? No! I… Just needed the picture!”

“Why? So you can look at it every night? Put it in a shrine in your closet? You definitely seem like that kind of pervert!”

“I’m a Photographer! I did that with everyone!”

“Everyone? Even the skanky coward and the amnesiac fatass? Kyahaha! You don’t even have standards!” At this point, I had to believe she was just trying to mess with me. As soon as I felt my eHandbook buzz, I turned and left the Princess, lacking the will to keep arguing with her.

The airport was incredibly small, being able to reach the other side in a matter of steps. I found a figure leaning against a pillar, eyes glued to a Gamekid Advanced screen. This was the final student I needed to meet, number 15. With sunken eyes and limbs the width of toothpicks, he’s probably seen better days.

“Hey!” He… Didn’t seem to hear me. “Hello?”

He finally looked up, staring straight ahead before turning his dull eyes to me. There was a mumble, so tiny I could barely hear it, but it vaguely sounded like “Hey.”

“Uh… You alright?”

He replied with yet another mumble, but this one was longer and more complex, making it difficult to discern as Japanese.

“Could you speak up a little?”

His voice became clear, but still weak and quiet “I mean yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You seem… Sick.”

“Just tired.” Seems a little more serious than sleeplessness, but I took his word for it. “Who’re you?”

I smiled “I’m Hajime Hinata and I’m the Ultimate Photographer.” I held up my camera for emphasis, but it slipped out of my hands and fell back to my hip. "... You?"

Putting away the hand console and crossing his thin arms, he let out a small, goofy chuckle. “Oh, my name…” He weaved his fingers together and cracked them “I’m the Ultimate Gamer, Nekomaru Nidai.” The last part completely dwindled in volume, but I was barely able to make out his name. “So you’re a photographer? You must get to move around alot.”

“Uhh, yeah? I’d say so. I definitely travel often for work.”

“That sounds nice... Must be hard work.”

“Well, I enjoy it! I work hard, but it isn’t exactly boring for me.”

He leaned forward to stretch. “Always a good thing.”

“Well, speaking of my job…” I held my camera with an immense sense of relief. “How about a photo?”

He tilted his head, and his mouth spread into a wide grin. I snapped the photo and my handbook went off. However, when I was reaching towards my pocket, what sounded like a school bell rang throughout the airport.

“What was that?”

“That TV…”

Surely enough, I followed Nekomaru’s gaze and saw a monitor on the wall, sparking with static. The gray speckling cleared, and what laid behind it was a rather pleased Ukuma, sitting on a red armchair in the center of a colorful room. “Congratulations! All of the base Hope Fragments have been obtained! You kids are the best, you know? I’m too proud for words... Just come to the beach ASAP, I got somethin’ for ya!” And with that, the screen flicked off. 

“ASAP?” My classmate got off the beam and began trudging towards the door. “We better hurry, for our teacher’s sake.”

After lingering a long moment, I speed walked out the door and headed to the beach. Oddly enough, it didn’t take too long to reach. Once I walked within earshot, I received mere table scraps of the class-wide conversation.

“...Someone told me there’s an airport…”

“... No, too risky…”

“... The day I get attacked by a teddy bear and lose is the day I…”

“... See? All that comes out of your mouth is garbage! Like…”

“... And how is that supposed to…”

“... Shut up! I’m not stupid, ok? I can…”

The jumbled words finally cleared up for one comment. “What if we try swimming?” The class turned their attentions to Akane, who was idly picking at her ear.

“Oh, of course! However… Aren’t we in the middle of the ocean?” Byakuya stepped up a few slow steps. “We could try, but then we’d just… Drown half way! Though I wouldn’t mind if you all tried for yourselves.” I physically cringed at his thin-veiled threat. 

“Actually, she brings up a strong point.” Sonia pitched in. “If the water is unmonitored as it is, we would simply need to cross it in some way.”

Kazuichi began to speak “Hey! What if we cut down the trees and make a boat? They do that in survival movies-”

“WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! HEY!” Ukuma reared up, center in the cluster of teenage humans. “CAN’T YOU READ!? RULE 3, COEXIST WITH THIS ISLAND’S BOUNTIFUL NATURE!" He crossed his arms with a huff, his staff resting in the crook of his elbow. "No chopping innocent trees.”

"Goddamnit! Where do you keep coming from!?" Fuyuhiko bursted.

"Thaaat's irrelevant!" He cupped his cheeks in his paws "Don't you wanna know what I brought you here for? I got a surprise for you all!"

"And that is…?" Peko prompted him.

"For fully completing your first round of Hope Fragments, I give you… This!" He held something up. It seemed to be a small piece of paper, with an illustrated depiction of his likeness printed over it. 

"What… is that?" Chiaki asked what we were all wondering.

"An Ukuma Sticker!"

"That… that's it? You brought us all the way over here for a sticker?" Mahiru glared.

"It's not just any sticker! It's holographic, scratch-n-sniff, extra strength, glow in the dark, waterproof, changes color from heat aaand" turning it to an angle, he pressed on the bulging surface of the sticker to demonstrate. "It's puffy!"

The class stared blankly ahead at their teacher.

"Now, now! No need to fuss! I made enough for all of you!" He waddled around the group, passing out a sticker to each student he reached. In response, the students quietly examined the adhesives. Soon as the plush finished making his rounds, over half of the stickers ended up dumped into the sand.

“HEY! No littering on the island!”

“Kyahaha! Even you think they’re just trash!” Hiyoko jumped at the chance to mock him.

A heavy sigh expelled from him as he kneeled over, picking the pieces out of the sand. His head bore a frustrated, yet lonely face. It started to give me a heartache.

"Hey! Come on, guys!" I called out to my classmates. "That was uncalled for!"

"Nah, it's ok. You know how it is." He jumped atop a tarped platform. "Kids only take what they want! This isn't nearly as cool as the Ukuma stickers, but might be more your guys' style…" Jumping off, he pulled the tarp from the round surface in one swift movement. Beneath it was a steel bonfire bed. "Given we're on a sexy tropical island, I thought 'Hey, what beach is complete without a comfy campfire?'. I had other plans, but it's already way too dark now!"

Dragging my feet across the island in the harsh sun wasn't great for energy-preserving. Amidst my uncertainty, It was honestly rather exciting that we'd be settling down and doing something fun! Hanging out with the Ultimates, sitting among them as an equal, that was a dream I'd had for as long as I could remember!

"And don't worry your cute lil' heads off, I made sure to bring the necessitieees!" He stepped aside, revealing crackers, chocolate, marshmallows and even hotdogs leaning against the bonfire base. Next to it was a box of iron skewers, which the bear tapped on with his wand. "The sale on this stuff was Godsent! Come get your sticks!"

The kids immediately got into a neat line before the box. I guess I'd been thinking too much, for once I checked back on reality, the line had already fully formed. I scooted my feet to the very back, somewhat disgruntled. Every person at the front got knocked off one-by-one as they received their stick. Each kid walked to a seat around the bed with a different reaction, whether it be skepticism, enthusiasm or plain confusion, they all complied the same. At some point, our teacher lit the fire with his wand then resumed vending skewers. Before I knew it, I was last, but Ukuma seemed to be having trouble with the box…

"...Eh? Sorry, kid. We're fresh out!" He dropped the box into the sand, defeatedly. "I could've sworn, I was supposed to have enough skewers for the whole class…"

Too good to be true. "So I can't join in, huh?"

His beady eyes widened "Oh, n-n-no! You totally can, bud! Uh…" after frantically looking around, he pointed to a nearby patch of brush. "Look, there should be a good stick in there!"

It wasn’t quite as sanitary as the skewer would’ve been, but I wasn’t about to get mad over a loss of luxury. None of the twigs were right for the job; either thicker in diameter than the marshmallows, or too thin to support their own weight. In my slump, I found myself looking over at the fire, tuning in. They all looked so comfy and high-spirited, their smiles glowing in the warm light, warding off the chills of a seaside night.

“Yay! A bonfire!” Mikan cheered, spinning two marshmallows over the flame.

“Ooo, the fire is so warm! It feels great!” Sonia grinned as she put her first s’more together.

“ACK! Ibuki burnt her hotdog! It isn’t even charred enough…” she chewed on the blackened chunk of meat, disgruntled.

“Ah… What’s better than this? Huddling up together, getting all hot…” Teruteru stifled a chuckle, looking over to see Mahiru stare him down. “What!?”

“He’s right.” Nekomaru mumbled, but with notable enthusiasm. “What vacation is complete without shoving weenies in your mouth together?” 

The brunette smiled wickedly. “See? This guy gets it!”

“Really? Seems more like he isn’t getting it…” Mahiru nagged.

“Y'know? This isn't the only way to get all warm and sweaty." The Rockstar remarked with shameless suggestion, clinging to the Gamer's arm.

Nekomaru visibly shook in the touch, muttering. "What's with this feeling of sudden regret?"

Aside from the faces twisting in caution, the whole class was having a blast. Without me. One of the seats appeared to be empty, but I didn't know everyone well enough to determine whose it was. 

"Ah! I was so worried, but look at 'em! Aren't they all acting like Ultimates should?" Ukuma cooed to nobody in particular, squishing his cheek against his wand as he spectated the fireside.

I needed to hurry. I turned back and sped up digging through the twigs. I didn't know how long this moment would last, or how much longer I had left, but my pounding heart told me I needed to hurry before-

There was a soft tap on my shoulder. I froze and cautiously looked behind me. There stood the Ultimate Lucky Student, standing stiffly above me.

"Predictable. Earthly life toying with the elements, as if they have never experienced them before…" his gaze became more soft, before he shut his eyes altogether "It seems you've twisted fate in your favor."

"Huh?"

"For I, however, am above that." He held out his hand, like he was feeding an apple to a horse. In it laid his skewer. He was offering it to me?

I took it gratefully, muttering a "Thank you!" through my smile.

He nodded into his scarf and turned, walking off before stopping at the edge of the shore. I was shuffling over to the bonfire, but I stopped to look back one last time. I could only see his back as he stared off into the water, aglow with moonlight. Sometimes, I regret staring so long. The dark sky around him, the deepest blue with a speckling of stars… Faded. Faded into a gory, nauseating shade of pink. 

It was so sudden and so unnatural, even Gundham's stoic display stumbled upon witnessing it.

"W-what's happening!?" It seems the students at the fire noticed, with the Ultimate Cook blurting out nearby.

"What in the world…!?" I heard Haishiro cry out, breathily.

I wasn't even close enough to the fire, yet I felt myself choking on smoke. This wasn't natural, nor did it look like a good sign. My panic was my call to action, as I confronted the only 'person' who could be responsible. "What's going on!? What did you do to the sky!?"

"W-WHAT THE HELL!?" Ukuma squeaked. "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING, THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING." He paced around, his head in his hands.

"You… Don't know?"

Just then, when I thought things couldn't get any stranger, IT suddenly happened.

A monitor in the palms flickered on. It showed static, but the static didn't go away. Instead, a round, chubby silhouette, that you could barely see, faded in.

"Ah… Hello? Hellooo? This should be set up right. Can you hear me?" That voice. Shrill, squeaky and feminine. Unlike Ukuma's voice, this voice seemed to drip with malice. A chill shook down my spine as soon as I heard it. "Ah, hello! It's very nice to see you! If it's no trouble, please make your way to Jabberwock Park. Immediately."

The monitor switched off on its own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! This was supposed to be posted a while ago, but I got caught up in something before I could finish. I'm fine now! As always, feel free to share your thoughts or speculate for now!


	6. Chapter 1: For Here or To Go - 1

No.

Just when I was starting to accept our current situation, it all became even more twisted and uncertain.

"That… Was that…? No… It can't be…" Ukuma gripped his staff tight in both paws, his voice sounding out in a low growl. "... HER."

"Who is-" the Ultimate Swordswoman was cut off.

"I'm going to stop this before it even starts!" And with that, the teddy bear poofed off in a red puff of glitter.

The blonde shook her head. "Whatever this is, I can be of assistance to our teacher." She swiftly exited the beach, her hands already hovering over her sword.

"This seems like an emergency." Peko stated, making her way to the path.

"W-wait! Take me with yooouuu!" Mikan stumbled behind her.

I… My stomach churned. It pulsed with a feeling of pending doom, yet also a feeling of responsibility. Behind the three, I dashed down the island, the adrenaline making every movement in my muscles cold.

The fatigue had me stop in my tracks, hunched over and gasping in breaths. I saw brick tile below my feet, prompting me to raise my head and view the park I stopped at. It might've been my shortness of breath, but the air was cold and thin, stark in contrast to the thick smog of the beach. The sky seemed bolder and brighter, it's hue reflecting menacingly on the surface of the statue. The fuchsia added gore to the depicted battle. I felt the warm presence of the rest of my classmates behind me, seemingly just arrived. I even felt hands rest on my shoulders, but I didn't bother to look. The scene before me already held my attention.

Ukuma stood his ground in the dead center, looking around as his shouting voice echoed around the park. "YOU! IF YOU WANT TROUBLE, YOU'LL HAVE TO COME OUT AND FIGHT ME YOURSELF!". Does he really have this under control?

"Pffft! Tee-hee!" An unknown voice cracked up in response.

"I HEAR YOU! COME OUT! YOU CAN’T HIDE FOREVER'." His face tinted a shade of red.

“HUEHUEHUEHUEHUEHUE!” That laugh. It haunted the open air and shook the world around me, shook it into an unbearable cocktail of terror.

Jumping, up from the top of the statue, casting a terrible shadow as she slammed into the base of the statue. A stuffed rabbit. Half white, half a blackish shade of pink. Half soft and endearing, much alike Ukuma, half jagged and grinning wide, threateningly.

“Hellooo! Thank you for your patience.” Her voice was sweet as she purred, but it tasted bitter. “It’s been so long! I hope things haven’t been… Too different, this time around!”

“I knew it. I knew it from the second I heard that damned voice.” The bear shook with rage. “How the eff did you even get in here, Monomi!?”

Monomi…?

“Eh!? There’s two of them now!?” The Ultimate Breeder piped up, hands on her cheeks.

“This one’s even uglier!” Hiyoko snarked from somewhere in the crowd. 

Monomi slowly stood up. “I wouldn’t worry about that, now! It appears you’re a little too late.” 

“Stand back.” Ukuma barked back to the class. “I’ll handle this…!” Wand held above his head, he charged at the rabbit, wings flapping wildly to get some air. As soon he collided with her, he was halted. She held him in place by the wand. Using his grip on the stick to her advantage, she swung the staff over her head, flinging Ukuma across the park. He made an awful scraping noise as he skid on the bricks.

Monomi, gripping the wand by each side, brought the middle down on her knee, making the stick snap in two. “Oopsie-daisy!” She nonchalantly let go of the pieces, letting them fall to the ground. “Looks like you won’t be using this anymore.” 

"No!" Ukuma coughed, up on his hands and knees. "That's not…!"

"Hm… What to do with you now…" The rabbit tapped her chin.

"Yo-you can't…" Our teacher stammered "This can't…!"

"Hey! Given how whiney you are, I have the perfect idea!" Monomi approached. Despite his previous braveness, Ukuma cowered away as she got closer. She wasted no time throwing punches at the bear, every swing increasing in speed until it all became a blur. Ukuma was engulfed in a cloud of dust. The only indication that he was still there was the coughing, and the faint pleads for her to stop. It hurt to watch. At some point, it looked less like Monomi was beating someone senseless, and more like… She was putting something together?

"Tadaaa!" She stopped to put her hands on her hips. The dust dissipated around Ukuma. He was now to his feet, quivering steadily. His coloring was split in two, with half of him tinted an off-black color. His frilly clothes were mostly gone, all that was left being his bowtie and what looked like a lacey red baby bib. His eyes generally glittered with tears, but one of them now glowed faintly with a bright red color. The crowd behind me whispered comments about his sudden wardrobe change. 

"What… Did you do to me…?" Ukuma whined. "Why do I look so weird!?"

"Aww… How sad… How very sad…" Monomi cooed. "Crying to his big sister! I don't remember raising Monokuma to be such a little coward."

"B-big sister? Monokuma?"

"My little brother! It's much more fitting this way, don't you think? I hope you don't mind that I customized a few things. Teehee!"

"You're not gonna make your own settings!" Monokuma waved his arms in defiance. "... Wait, huh!? Even the descriptions changed to Monokuma!?"

What was I looking at? Stuffed animals fighting each-other? That… Sounds even worse when you say it out loud.

"I could've… This could've been over…" The bear continued to mutter to himself, cowering into his arms.

"Alright, what the Hell is this?" The Ultimate Nurse fumed.

"Eheh… Who knows!" Kazuichi scratched the back of his head.

"Is this some sort of play…?" Reasoned Nekomaru.

"Well… This looks… Bad…" Teruteru fumbled with his comb.

Monokuma turned to properly face the class. For a face that isn't very expressive, it reflected his pain vividly.

Mahiru popped an eyebrow. "He looks so weird like that."

"HEY! He's supposed to match me, now!" Monomi stiffened. "You are so rude."

"What is even happening?" Haishiro questioned. "And who is this new stuffed animal?"

"I am not a stuffed animal." The rabbit stated, firmly. "I am Monomi."

"Monomi?" They echoed.

"The headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy. And as the headmaster, I come bearing an announcement." She raised a paw into the air. "The Killing School Trip will now commence!"

Killing School Trip…

Killing…

What could she possibly mean by killing…?

No, no… That can't be it… Right?

It seemed I heard her correctly, as the title was whispered around behind me (Well, aside from that one kid who seemed excited for a 'Grilling' School Trip).

"K-KILLING!?" The Ultimate Cook yelled. "What happened to 'Heart-Throbbing'? What happened to just hanging out and playing Yahtzee!?"

"And kissing!?" The Ultimate Rockstar added.

"Think of it… Like a game show! Except there's killing instead of questions, and the prize… Is your escape!"

"Our… Escape?" I asked.

"There's no better prize than your life being on the line. Don't you think?" She bounced back up to the statue base. "And now, without any further interruptions-"

"NO!" Monokuma cried out. "Whatever twisted game you have planned I won't-"

He was immediately silenced by a backhand to the face. "I said, without any further interruptions."

The bear struggled to get back to his feet, holding the reddening spot in his paws.

She turned back to the students. "Allow me to explain!" Her hands pressed together. "Carry out a murder. Once the body has been seen by at least three people, yourself excluded, you will all be set to investigate the crime. After a certain amount of time has passed, the class trial will begin. A battle between the blackened and their spotless classmates." She began to pace back and forth. "If you are successfully uncovered, you will be executed and the school trip will continue; but if a spotless student is outed instead… Everyone else is executed! And you get to go home! TL;DR: Kill one of your friends, get away with it and you'll win."

"E-e-executed!?" Mikan cried out.

Her jagged red eye glowed brightly. "Exactly as it sounds! You will have your life ended as punishment for your failure. Isn't that so sad? Isn't that sooo depressing? There's so many ways to kill off a human… I'm excited just thinking about it!"

Her words. Her words were more than sound to me, like they were stabbing into my heart. My head hurt from listening to it.

"What kind of sick, twisted joke is this!? Stop fucking with us!" Fuyuhiko growled.

"This is all a prank, right…? You can say it now! Please!" Teruteru bargained.

"Don't worry, killing isn't mandatory!" She replied. "I just don't think you'd want to be trapped here for the rest of your lives! What about your home? What would your families think?"

Those last few words struck fear into some choice faces in the audience.

"What's going to happen now…?" The Ultimate Mechanic asked sleepily. A hand draped over her shoulder.

"Now? It seems we have no other choice…" Sonia unsheathed her sword. "... Than to defend ourselves."

Peko stepped up. "Together, now! If you choose to humiliate our teacher and threaten our lives, that will come with another choice."

"W-we…" The Ultimate Gymnast stood her ground. "We won't lose to a toy!"

The athletes of our class grouped together, creating an intimidating display. They all stared down the rabbit in battle-ready positions.

"Wow. You all seem to be so coordinated, so in-sync! It's almost beautiful!" Monomi wiped a mock tear. "Too bad that… Well… I'm going to have to do this…"

What did she me-

Rumbling.

Shaking.

A sudden earthquake threw off everyone's balance. The athletic group was now a pile. My vision was shaking too much to focus on anything, until a strip of light shined just ahead. 

The statue.

The statue was cracking. Like an egg under pressure. The breaks in the stone glowing with intense light. Instead of crumbling away into chunks, however, the stone broke off into pieces like a shell. Beneath it uncovered a new layer, metallic with bulbs of red glow. The stone shed until metal, monstrous forms were uncovered. They jumped forward behind Monomi's proud pose, five robots of the five statue figures. The Earth was still again. Shouts and screams rang out behind me.

The stuffed rabbit became visibly annoyed. "Everyone, remain calm. The Monobeasts won't hurt you if you're not stupid."

"Monobeasts?" I blurted, struggling to take in the information.

"These majestic creatures are my personal army! If you are to-"

"Enough." Monokuma growled. "I won't sit here any longer." He slowly stepped up to his sibling, head held low. "I'm going to protect my kids if it's the last thing I do…" He raised his eyes to meet hers, his cross and shimmering with determination. "... 'Cause I'm a bear, after all."

Monomi simply stared, observant. Her hands behind her back. She looked him up and down for a solid minute, before clicking her tongue and speaking. "... It looks like someone chose to be stupid."

One of the Monobeasts, the hawk one, flew forward. Monokuma's face was intense as he watched it lay its head on the ground, allowing Monomi to climb up its neck and mount its shoulder blades. "You're all so curious about the executions, right?" The beast flew back. "Then let this be an example to you all!" 

It hovered menacingly, blocking Monokuma from any light and obscuring him in shadow. From what I could see, he no longer expressed fear, simply standing straight and watching. From its wings spurred out various nozzles of heavy weapons, bouquets of guns pointing to the teacher. It fired. It fired rapidly… But bullets didn't hit Monokuma. They simply hit the ground where he was supposed to stay, whilst the bear ran. He sprinted in loops, narrowly avoiding being shot a thousand times over. He was doing well. He was doing so well…

A rock.

A goddamn rock.

He tripped on a stray rock, the momentum allowing him no time to react. He was bound to the ground, pinned by uncountable bullets ripping holes in his fabric, making his cotton innards fly about. Soon, all that was left of the bear was his bowtie. Full of holes, and solemnly drifting to the ground.

There was a brief silence from our shock, broken by a shriek. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" I nearly mistook Kazuichi for an animal with his primal cry.

"W-what is this?" The Ultimate Gamer was quiet as ever, but his distress wasn't hard to make out. "Did he just…?"

"I… I can't believe this… I won't believe this…" The Ultimate Rockstar denied, his sweating betraying his words.

Ibuki foamed at the mouth, her bird circling around her head. "Ablub-blub-blub-blub!"

Even with a hoard of monsters towering above us… Ending our teacher's life right in front of our eyes… None of us ran. We didn't even scream anymore. Something like this shouldn't be real, and our bodies had no idea how to react. Nothing. We simply stood.

"Is it happening? Is it finally settling in?" Monomi squished her cheeks, expectantly. "I can see it written all over your faces! The bold sense of despair!" 

She let out a laugh. A shrill, loud, campy laugh that set fire to my nerves. Her mouth opened wide to release more sound, her flat half grin split into rows of shark teeth, dripping with saliva and pure evil.

None of us spoke. None of us moved. None of us breathed. It was an unspoken rule that anything could set her off, landing us in Monokuma's fate, and we couldn't risk that. We were powerless.

"Now that my stupid brother is out of the way, let me say this." Her eye glowed much more brightly this time, flashing slowly like an alarm light. "As long as I'm in charge, you cannot defy me. I have more power over you than you can even anticipate. You're lucky I'm so liberal. I won't harm you myself… Unless you give me a reason to."

Nobody replied.

She stood up straight and waved. "As for now, the rules have been updated to suit our change of plans. Please review them when you have the chance!". My head hurt. "Without further ado, let the Killing School Trip begin! I'll leave you to it."

She was gone.

She left us.

I should be glad, but having to think about what she said was worse than hearing it.

I…

I couldn't even think. I was just… tired. So worn out from one horrible revelation after another. I wanted… To go to bed. To have some weird dream to forget about, and wake up for another long day at Oak Bridge High. Not this. Not standing where I am, hearing what I heard.

It seemed my classmates felt the same. They slumped over, unsure what to do with themselves, fantasizing about being somewhere else. Nobody had anything to say.

"... It's real." A voice, Mahiru's, finally spoke.

"Huh?" Someone vocalised.

She simply shook her head. "You all do realize what this means, right?"

"We're being forced to kill each-other?" Chiaki blinked.

"We're not being forced… We're being given a reason."

"Given a reason? What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that anybody can kill. Anybody can be brought to such a low." She patted dust off her jumpsuit. "With the threat of losing your home, your family, or even just your daily lives, that strikes a cord with anyone. It unlocks a primal urge to destroy anything that gets in our way."

"And we are all responsible for ignoring that urge, not letting it get the better of us. Correct?" Haishiro pitched in.

The gangster nodded. "Additionally, don't put your fears in the wrong place! We shouldn't fear the rules, the Monobeasts or even Monomi herself. What we should be weary of is…"

She stood upright and proudly in the center of our class, radiating the certainty that all of us lacked. "... Each-other." Heads started moving to look around as she continued. "All of us are instilled with a sense of loss, a sense of time ticking down. It's only a matter of time that someone you consider your friend… Instantly becomes your worst enemy. Not everyone can handle this feeling well."

We were all doing the same thing. Looking around at the surrounding faces, determining if any of them could belong to a killer. Even if I knew better, her words made me unable to help it. I had just laid my eyes on Haishiro as they slowly stepped forward. "I don't think that's quite-" They were instantly shut down by Mahiru's glare. They retreated as pale green eyes followed them. 

This is a feeling I've never experienced before. Something I don't think I was supposed to feel. As soon as I took on turning my hobby into Ultimateship, I knew my life would be alot more unusual… But nothing like this. I knew that this had nothing to do with my Hope's Peak enrollment… Right? This is all one misunderstanding… Brought to an island with a full class of Ultimates by someone who claimed to be our teacher, and then trapped there and forced into murder by someone who claimed to be Hope's Peak's Headmaster… It's all just a coincidence. It has to be. Something I've dreamed and worked for my entire life can't just turn on me like this. It can't. I knew that.

So why did my camera feel so heavy on my shoulder…?

Our killing School Trip had begun, and this tropical island was the stage.


	7. Chapter 1: For Here or To Go - 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first night and the first day of the Killing School Trip.

The courtyard.

Cold and gray.

I sunk my head into the back of the lounge chair. I thought that this would calm me down, sitting by the poolside… But this tight, painful feeling in my chest still got worse. I should’ve been denouncing this all as fake, suspension of disbelief, but I had to realize how this was real. I had to make myself accept it, no matter how hard I wanted to ignore it. This was my new reality, and I could be here forever. It was terrifying. It was… Completely unfair. All of my dreams had just been realized, had finally come true, only for me to be trapped in a killing game. Only for it to all be pulled from under me. It’s like I’ve worked so hard all my life... Only to be punished. 

I stared into the night sky, having nothing else to look at. It was no longer a bloody pink that glowed horribly everywhere you turned, it was completely normal now. Yet… It was worse. A dark, drab, bleak shade of black. The sky was blank and starless, swirling with the faintest hues of gray. It was menacing, isolating. Like looking at the blank screen when a digital camera died… Except I didn’t see my reflection staring back reassuringly. This type of sky was a clear indicator that the night was nearly over. The sun would start rising in a matter of minutes. I was supposed to be gazing into this sky after a long night of fireside chatter, not sitting alone, having wasted my night away struggling to figure out what the rest of my life would look like.

If I even had a ‘rest of my life’.

I… Needed to go. Needed to be anywhere else. Surely, a change of scenery would take my mind off things. At least, I’d hope. I treaded to the rows of cottages, afloat on the water. My cottage was by the center path, between Haishiro’s and Mikan’s. It seemed no different from the other abodes, simply cubic and tan with a blue mailbox. The only reason I was able to tell them apart was these strange portraits across the front of the mailboxes. They looked like sprites from an old video game, depicting each of our mugs in a simple manner. I was able to spot mine from the pale brown hair and the unflatteringly large depiction of my cowlick. It wasn’t THAT big. Damn it. 

As soon I entered the cottage, I collapsed on my bed. I thought sleeping would help, I thought this would take my mind off things, but the bed… It felt exactly like my mattress at home. It made me think about home. It made me miss home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. Home. 

“AUGH!”

I didn’t care about Hope’s Peak or the Ultimates anymore, I shouldn’t have been anywhere but home.

It made me just want to go home.

My head shoved into my pillow, it was so hard to breath. A tiny, tiny voice at the back of my head hoped I would suffocate to death. Anything to make this all end. It took me so long to come to my senses, but once I did, my mind just had another question on it… What do I do? Considering how I was still alive and breathing, I was always able to find my way out of danger, and back into safety. I was so used to finding solutions to any of my problems. But what about now? I could wait for someone to find us, spell out “Help Us!” in rocks like they do in movies, hoping a passing helicopter would pay us any mind. But where was this island? Would it be on any flight paths? All of my other ideas were like this, shut down as quickly as they were thought up. But then came one thought. A thought that sent adrenaline throughout my veins, making me sit up. 

“What if I killed someone?”

If I were to successfully commit a murder, and get away with it, I could leave this island safely. Given how fascinated that rabbit was with the resulting death, she most likely was honest about this part. I would go home. I could drown someone in the ocean, letting their body and any evidence drift off. I could poison someone’s food at the diner, everyone would think it was choking or allergies. I could-

No.

NO!

It scared me how twisted my imagination was becoming. Why was I so enthused with the idea of ending someone’s life? And even if I did do that… Then what? If I failed to get away with it, made the tiniest mistake in front of the Ultimates’ sharp minds, I would be sentenced to death. It would be a waste of two lives. And even if I did win, I would be the only one who escaped. Everyone else would be killed just for the sake of my own life. With the weight of something as selfish as that… Would it even be worth living? 

I wasn’t going to kill someone.

That was one of the only things I was sure of.

The only thing I could do is wait. If I just wait, and let things play out, there must be a solution waiting for me. And with that, I slowly drifted to sleep.

…

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

“Dear students. Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey! Good mooorning! It is now 10:00 AM, time to rise and shine! I can’t wait to see what happens today! Bye-bye, now! Love, Monomi.”

The following morning was brought upon me with golden beams of sunlight, shining right into my closed eyes. I was honestly hoping that when I opened them, I’d be home, awake for my true first day at Hope’s Peak Academy… But those rays of sun were too beautiful to not be on the deserted island. I don’t even keep my curtains open in my room! I was disappointed, so disappointed, but all I could do now was get up. And that’s what I did. 

The room was rather nice as I inspected it, like a high-end hotel. Flat screen T.V., bed framed with silk drapes, a cozy little sitting area and even a private bathroom! As I opened it, the closet was both completely goofy and somewhat disturbing. In it were countless exact copies of the outfit I was wearing, even down to having extra socks, bowties and camera straps on the hangers. Were they really expecting us? I was making my way to the bathroom, when I noticed something right next to it’s door. A corkboard, with a tray of thumbtacks. Given how personalized the rest of the room was, I knew exactly why this was here and what I needed to do next. 

I plunged my hand into my pocket. In it, I had stashed polaroids of everyone I've met. One at a time, I posted them on the board, sticking the thumbtacks carefully at the top. As I went through, I finally landed on the last one.

Monokuma, back when he was Mr. Ukuma. Eyes shining with hope and… Life.

I was so hard on him at first, but that’s just because I was so disoriented. I needed a target to pin all of my suspicions, and it shouldn’t have been him. Only in his final moments did I realize that he really did want the best for us… And that the real danger in a stuffed animal package had yet to come. I pinned the photograph and stepped back.

Maybe I could fit more photos I took in the future? But there was little room left. Did they have more corkboards at that supermarket? They had to! If any more happy memories were to spark from this trip, I wanted to save them for as long as I needed to. I almost wished that I took a picture of the bonfire… But maybe that would’ve bore memories of what happened next.

I was checking the settings on my camera as I exited the door, so it took bumping into them to make me realise someone was standing right in front of me.

“W-W-WAAAAAAAH!”

I rubbed my eyes to get a better look down at the Ultimate Musician. He was shaken up and catching his breath, before he whipped out his comb to attempt regaining his composure. 

“Hajime.” He regarded me, with forced casualness.

“... You seem pretty spooked.” I noted. “This whole killing game must really be getting to you.”

“Killing game? What killing game?” He began to sweat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“... Well, would you look at the time?” He looked at his watchless wrist. “I’ve gotta get going. See you later!” 

Before I had the chance to ask him anything else, he bolted out of the hotel gate, making frantic little grunts with every step. It didn’t seem like he even knew where he was going. As I watched him disappear down the street, I felt a tap at my shoulder.

“Hajime!” Sonia greeted me with a bow. “I am terribly sorry if I am disturbing you, but I was asked to look for you. We have been awaiting your arrival at the restaurant for quite some time.”

“We were supposed to meet up?”

“It was a sudden decision. You are not to blame for being unaware.” She fixed the sleeves of her school uniform. “But please make your way to the others. I, myself, must find one other student.” She waved as she walked off.

I always ascend up stairs with the rails, but the metal railing of the outdoor stairs was too hot from the sun. I ended up entering the second story from inside.

“You!” I was shocked still by Mahiru’s sudden call. “It’s been an hour! It’s irresponsible to keep a lady waiting, you know!” I looked around to see that, surely enough, everyone else was already here. “And where is that tone-deaf ball of grease?”

“... You mean Teruteru? I don’t know where he went.”

She sighed dramatically. “I’ve mentally noted you as ‘Unreliable Hajime’.”

“How am I supposed to know!?”

“I have something to announce, but I must wait until everyone’s here.” She said, ignoring me. “I swear, that little-… Is there anything we should discuss while we’re waiting? How about you?” she poked Chiaki, waking her from falling asleep standing.

“Huh… Wuh…?” The mechanic took a long pause, before rubbing her eye and speaking. “... Is this about my overalls? I know they’re dirty, but the copies all have the same oil stains.”

The Ultimate Yakuza planted her face in her palm. “Do you have anything to talk about?”

Chiaki took a few seconds before putting her finger up. “No.”

Mahiru’s face soured even further. “Anybody else?” 

As she waited for someone to speak, the Ultimate ??? got up from where they were sitting and reached a table I hadn’t noticed before. It was covered in many displays of various tropical dishes. As they quietly piled food onto a plate, Mikan watched them before speaking. “H-hey. This might not be… Very important… B-but…”

Mahiru cocked an eyebrow “Spit it out.”

“Where did that food come from…?” The Ultimate Gymnast pointed to the buffet. “I don’t think they were here yesterday… S-sorry if I'm misremembering!”

“Hey… She’s right…” Nekomaru murmured curiously. “That all totally came out of nowhere.”

“Do you think maybe Monomi made this stuff?” Akane asked through a full mouth, already chowing down on a plate of her own.

“The thought of that thing in a cooking getup is hilarious, but I doubt it.” The yakuza said. 

“Oo! Oooo!” Ibuki shot her hand up. “Did Hashbrowns make this grub?!” She pointed fingerguns at Kazuichi, as her bird flew down to perch on one of them. 

“No.” Kazuichi adjusted his glasses, eyeing around the room before clenching his fists defensively. “F-for the record, I totally could’ve though! And better!”

“An Ultimate Cook that doesn’t even do his job! How lame!” Hiyoko smirked.

“How was I supposed to know that we’d meet up for breakfast!?” He tugged on the straps of his apron. “Ugh… I would’ve totally blown this stuff out of the water…”

“Psssh, that isn’t even important right now.” Fuyuhiko scoffed. “What is important is that FUCKING BYAKUYA TOGAMI IS HERE, AND NOBODY’S SAID SHIT ABOUT IT.” He pointed to the celebrity in question, who simply shrugged. 

“We’ve all already met him.” Peko said. “We must be over the shock by now.”

“YEAH, B-BUT...” The Ultimate Nurse stammered. “BUT WHY!?”

“Does it bother you that I’m here?” Byakuya asked in a wispy voice. “I can always leave.”

“Fuck you. If any of us could leave, we wouldn’t even be here.”

“... Or maybe you just want me to stay?”

“What!? No!”

“Of course you do. Nobody can leave me alone.”

Their exchange was interrupted by the door ringing. Sonia had walked in with Teruteru close behind.

“I have brought the musician.” Sonia stated, somewhat proudly.

“Just so you know, I prefer rocksta-” The Ultimate Rockstar cut himself off at the sight of… Something. He shot a glare, and I turned to see the Ultimate Pop Sensation returning it.

The Ultimate Breeder lit up. “Teruteruteruteruteru! Do you know Byakoosha!? You totally seem like you could be bandmates, reunited after all these years apart!” 

“Hell no.” He stated flatly. “Comparing me to this poser!? How rude!”

“‘Poser’?” The idol’s face drooped into a bitter stare. “Would you like to elaborate on that?”

“What? You mean that lack of talent you hide behind bleep-bloop voice enhancers? Getting to the top of the charts every year solely because you’re insanely hot!?” He turned around to face the rest of the class. “Your music is pure noise. How can anyone stand to-”

Two pale hands grabbed the Rockstar’s shoulders, stabbing their fingers into him as he tensed up. Byakuya slowly leaned into his ear from behind. “You’re starting to say some pretty foolish things.”

“Erm… Uuh…”

“I get it, you’re jealous. Who Isn’t?”

“A-ahm not… I’m not jealous.”

“It’s pretty typical for a nobody in the industry to talk that much trash when they’re envious.”

“...”

The idol whispered something into his ear, something that made his small eyes widen. Then, he let him go; not without pushing him over, of course. Teruteru stumbled as he tried to keep from falling over.

“Finally. You boys argue for way too long.” Mahiru crossed her arms. "Let's cut to the chase. I'll be the leader from this point forward. Alright? Alright. So, with that out of the way-"

"HOLD THE FUCK ON!" Fuyuhiko snarled. "You can't just call yourself the leader, you snarky bastard."

"Would you make a better leader, then?"

"No, but-"

"Would anyone else?"

Nobody responded.

"Alright, it's settled." Mahiru said.

The nurse gritted his teeth at her, but ultimately backed off in defeat.

"Ms. Koizumi?" Sonia piped up. "I am sorry to interrupt you, but I simply must bring up something Teruteru and I had found."

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to remember…" Teruteru tapped his fingers together, still sweating.

"Huh? What is it?" Mahiru prompted.

"It was a… It is better if you see it for yourself."

"Well, then where do we go?"

"To Jabberwock Park, at once."

The class wordlessly followed the Ultimate Yakuza as they all left. I stayed behind for a minute, before realizing that I was being an idiot and heading off to follow them.

I was the last one to arrive. While nearly everyone else was somehow struggling to find it, I was one of the few… To look up. It weighed down heavy as it towered, blocking the bright sun and blanketing everything in a thick shadow. A giant, round object atop where the statue once stood. The only thing I could focus on was that digital timer ticking down the days to seconds, as the other students finally caught up to speed.

"B-but what is it…?" Kazuichi stammered.

Chiaki wiped her snot "... It looks like a bomb."

"Oh, just a bomb?" His eyes then widened. "A B-B-B-BOOOOOOOMB!?"

"It certainly looks like one!" Byakuya remarked.

"We shouldn't jump to such a conclusion quite yet." Peko said.

"But if it's not a bomb, then what's that timer for?" Akane asked.

Nekomaru scratched his head. "It's a mystery…"

"Ooo! What kind of mystery?"

That last voice…

It sounded just like...

"MONOKUMA!?"

"Hey, kid!" In the flesh. Or the fabric, rather. Monokuma was just there. Alive and untouched. Like nothing even happened.

"I- But I- What-... How!?"

"I am a ghost! Coming to haunt you for the rest of your young days!"

"..."

"Juuust kidding! Y'see, I can't exactly die. Don't worry about it, alright?"

I didn't know how to respond.

"Then why are you here?" Mahiru did it for me.

"I was hoping to find you kids! What're you talking about over here?"

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this?" She hitched a thumb towards the statue base.

His eyes traced up the object, widening as soon as they reached the top. "HUH!? I…"  
He crossed his arms apprehensively. "I have no idea what this is."

"Thanks 'Useless Monokuma'." The gangster squinted.

"Eh!? Ok, look. So maybe I did lose all of my power when the Magic Stick was destroyed, and I have no idea what Monomi is up to-"

"Even though she's your sister?" The Ultimate Team Manager asked.

"Do your siblings tell you everything?"

"..."

"Despite all that, I'm sure we can overcome that damned rabbit. And I want to help!"

"How?" Mahiru glared. "If you can't even tell us what this timer is, then you truly are 'Useless Monokuma'. You have nothing to offer us."

"But I-"

"Get lost."

"..." He started to slowly wander off, until...

"WAIT!" I just couldn't stand it anymore. "If you want to help, we'll gladly take you along."

"What?" The Ultimate Yakuza squinted.

"... Really?" His black eye glittered, and his red eye glowed. "Hell yeah! We aren't gonna lose to some game! Let's win this together."

His enthusiasm was contagious. Maybe things will be okay after all!

But still…

21 days.


	8. Chapter 1: For Here or To Go - 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A special announcement.

“Nobody is going to die. As long as you watch your step and keep your eyes on everyone else, nothing is going to happen. You hear me?”

It was with those words that our de facto leader sent us off. Most of us had retreated to our cottages, not doing much to hide our uncertainty; while some of us, like myself, took the initiative to spend our time wandering about, seeing what the island and our classmates had to offer. I just wanted things to move forward. If I succumbed to hiding away from danger, it’d just make me feel worse, right? That “Trust no one” thing was a bit weird to me, anyway.

If you let me, I could probably go on for hours about how pretty this island was. Golden sunshine, dancing trees and twinkling ocean made it easier to walk around for unreasonable amounts of time. It didn't take too much trekking to find a figure down by the shore. There was Sonia Nevermind, holding some sort of object as she picked at the sand.

"Hey!" I called out to her.

She stopped to wave. "Hajime! Hello!" 

"What're you doing out here by yourself?"

"Oh, just combing the beach."

"Is that what the box is for?" I motioned to the metal case she had wrapped in her arm.

"Indeed. I have been meaning to start a seashell collection."

"A seashell collection?"

"Yes!"

"... Then why are you putting rocks in there?"

She stared into the box, and then back at me. "Ah. I admit, I have been picking up a lot of rocks, as well. And sea glass… I suppose this beach is too beautiful not to keep everything you find!"

Considering I've been oogling over the seaside for the past half hour? "You're not wrong."

She put her hand at her mouth to cover a giggle, and turned her focus back to the sand.

"Hey, would you want to hang out? Get to know each-other?" I asked.

"Sorry." She waved her hand. "I am quite 'caught-up', as it is."

Caught up? On rock collecting? She must be really into it. "I get it."

"I am sure the others would like to meet you, they seemed to talk about you alot."

"If you say so, I'll see you later!"

"To you as well!"

I waved the Swordswoman off and went on my way. I strolled down the long beach, kicking around littered Ukuma Stickers as I went. The sun was admittedly hotter than yesterday, a lot hotter, and all that heat seemed to catch on the wood bridge as I crossed it. I wish we had a warning about the whole "Trapped on a deserted island" thing, because I would've packed sunscreen. Oddly enough though, I didn't feel myself quite burning up in the skin. 

I heard, and then felt something running just behind me.

"Why, hello bear!" I looked down at our teacher as he skipped beside me.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to check up on ya. How've you been?"

"Well, I'm doing alright."

"Good, good." He quickened his pace. "... Y'know Hajime?"

"Hm?"

"You're a good kid." 

"... Even after how I treated you?"

He tapped his paws together. "I get how anxious you were. At this point, I might even say it was good intuition! And, well… You are the only one who stopped…"

"Stopped? What do you mean?" 

Just then, I finally looked ahead to see myself crossing paths with Fuyuhiko. A crabby expression, as always.

"Afternoon." He mumbled.

"Good afternoon."

His gaze fell upon Monokuma. "... Are you still dragging that thing along?"

"Thing? What thing? He's our teacher!"

"Aren't you the one who said that stuffed animals made no sense as teachers?"

"Yeah, but I was just-"

He sighed. "Look, dumbass. It's pretty funny that he looks alot like Monomi, even from the damn beginning."

"But-"

"And the fact that he magically came back to life after the rabbit fuck gunned him down is Hella convenient. Isn't any of that suspicious to you? Or did that fall from yesterday cause brain damage?"

"Fuyuhiko, he really isn't-"

"Isn't what? Monomi's brother? Poorly hiding his affiliation with our kidnapper?"

I was sure at first, but what he said was starting to become so conflicting. I wanted to look back at Monokuma, ask him if any of this was accurate, but…

He had vanished from my side.

"... Please." I had something to ask, of both of us. "Can't you just give him a chance?"

The Ultimate Nurse eyed me up and down, and scoffed. "If he up and backstabs us, don't say I didn't warn you." He headed off on his own way.

I should've noticed he was still there, being just behind my legs. He patted my hip and spoke cheerily. "Thank you, kiddo… Don't tell the others, but this is why you're my favorite!" And with that, he officially poofed off. 

It took me too long to realize I haven’t eaten a thing since I got here. Even while travelling, I always tried to get in my three meals a day. It’s not like I had to scavenge for berries, so I got on the route towards the hotel to try some mystery buffet. As I was reaching the pool, I heard the sound of dry cracking. 

“48!”

CRACK!

“49!”

The Ultimate Team Manager and the Ultimate Gymnast were at work by the poolside. Peko was tossing cheap styrofoam plates, while Mikan kicked them down with superhuman precision. 

“Hey, you guys!”

“EEP!” Mikan, still having her foot in the air, was thrown off balance. Her only leg collapsed. 

“That’s enough for now. Hello Hajime.” Peko greeted flatly, placing down the stack in her arm. Mikan got up and put her hands in a praying motion.

“Just wanted to know if either of you are down to hang out? I was about to grab some food.”

“I’m sorry. We’re busy working on reflexes at the moment.”

“B-but, you said we were done!” The gymnast squeaked.

“We have other exercises to move onto. This will all prove important.”

“Well, how are you doing so far?” I asked.

Mikan spoke to answer. “Oh! My highest score is 87-”

“Think fast!” The manager suddenly threw a plate at the gymnast.

“EEEEEE!” Mikan screamed as she turned, slashing the foam with her hand. The plate was sliced in half, completely clean.

“Mikan…” Peko’s face had faint tones of shock. “That was most impressive.”

“Y-you really think so…?” The klutz’s face was not as subtle.

“You may be an impeccable gymnast, but I can see you improving.”

Her face lit up “Thank you so much…!” 

“Well, I’ll see you guys later!” Not waiting for a response, I decided to leave them be. The sound of slicing Styrofoam resumed behind me. 

Chiaki Nanami leaned against the outdoor stair rail, fast asleep. I felt bad as I shook her awake from her peaceful slumber, but I needed to make sure she wasn't missing out on anything. She snorted.

"Hey, hey." She wiped a strand of snot from her face. Gross. "Don't worry about me, I was just waiting my turn."

"'Waiting your turn'?"

"... Mhm. Mahiru is hosting visits at the hotel restaurant now. So if you have anything to talk with her about…"

"No. I'm just hungry."

"Oh." She yawned. "If it's just to eat, you can walk in any time to grab food."

"What are you here for, then?"

"... I actually have something to talk to her about." From her overall pocket, she produced a small plastic device.

"What's that?"

"Right now it's just a busted alarm clock, but I've been working on it…" She pulled on it's retractable antenna to extend it. "... And I want to use it's radio capabilities to our advantage."

"Really? That's incredible! Are you sure you'll be able to get this to work?" 

"Not completely…? That's why I wanted advice on it." She glanced up at the door. "Whenever she's done with the current client, that is…"

"Well, I have faith in you. You're the Ultimate Mechanic, right? You should have that kind of talent already."

"... I hope so. Thanks, Hajime."

"Yeah." I waved down to her as I sped my way up the stairs.

As I got closer to the door, I started to hear… Noise. It was a vague noise, loud enough to be heard halfway up the stairs, but not loud enough to be recognizable. As I ascended, it began to sound like two different voices jumbled together. It was an argument. The words were inaudible, but I was sure two voices bickered just beyond the curtained door. One sounded a lot more aggressive than the other. Chiaki said I could've just come in, but I was afraid of stepping in on whatever this was. I was left to wait, my mind speculating the causes of the fight on its own.

And then, it all seemed to slow down, eventually dissolving down into one last desperate exchange and stopping. I heard footsteps approaching the door from inside, so I stepped back to allow some space. With a ring, the door opened. All of us just met, it took me a second to recognize Haishiro. They looked drained, tired. After closing it, they stood lingering in front of the door.

"Ah… Hi?" I wasn't sure what to say.

They gave me their attention. Thankfully, they didn't seem impatient or agitated with my interjection. "Hey."

"... What happened in there?"

"It's not important." 

"No problem, I just came to get some food."

They shook their head. "I… Wouldn't recommend going in there for a while. Here." They dug their hand into their jacket pocket and pulled an object out. Something neatly wrapped in a paper towel was offered to me.

I took it and carefully undid the napkin. Inside were five coconut popcorn shrimps, freshly hot and undamaged. "Wow, thank you!"

"It's not much, but it clears an empty stomach for a while."

As I munched on one of the shrimp, I thought. It pained me to see someone so stressed… Is there something I could do? And so, to clear up the awkward air, I asked the same question for the third time that day. "Hey, uh… If you're not busy, would you mind hanging out?"

"Hanging out?" They repeated the phrase to themself like it was foreign to them. "... Yes. I'm up for it."

I was honestly relieved that I'd finally get to talk to somebody. I may have been taking this weird situation in stride, but I still needed the company. We chatted as we headed down the stairs.

"How's this weather?" They asked.

"It's not as hot as it looks."

"With a sun like that, you'd expect to turn as red as a lobster." I don't know why, but their reply made me giggle.

Down the poolside, I ended up pausing, paying mind to the worn-down wood structure that stuck out like a thumb in the courtyard.

The Ultimate ??? commented behind me. "Strange old building, isn't it? Looks nothing like the rest of the buildings here." They slicked some loose hair back. "It'd be more at home in the middle of the woods. I wonder what it was used for?"

I… Also wondered that. Looking side to side, I checked to see only the two athletes around, with Chiaki probably already upstairs. With no notable eyes on us, I crept forward. I was just about to reach the door when-

"WOAH!" A tense Monokuma appeared before me. "Look, look, look! I know I'm on your side, but I still won't let you inside here!" 

"Damn it."

"I don't want any of you idiots getting hurt, if I can help it!" He took off once again.

"At least he has more sense than some of us…" Haishiro noted.

"You aren't suspicious of him?"

"What? He doesn't seem to mean any harm."

"... Well, that's a relief."

There was surprisingly not much to do on the island. They insisted that they didn't want to swim, siting the water as too salty, so our options were cut down significantly. We decided on window-shopping at Rocket Punch. 

I hadn't taken a proper look at the interior yet, but… Wow. It's a lot bigger on the inside than the out. It almost seemed impossibly big. Like, it went on forever. We never found the back of the building, so we meandered safely near the front.

"Hajime." The mystery began, as they were thumbing through a rack of graphic t-shirts. "You're a photographer, right? I just wanted to ask about that."

"Ask what, exactly? What you see is what you get."

"What exactly got you into that line of work?"

Ok, that stumped me. I honestly never really thought about why I got into photography. As I honed my skills, I mostly just thought about… No. That's not all it was. "... I see beauty in the little things, and I guess I've always had a sharp eye."

“I see. Sounds like you must enjoy it, then.”

“Can’t say I don’t.” I grinned light-heartedly. “What about your talent-” … Oops.

They must’ve read the look on my face when I caught what I just said. They sighed. "It’s fine.”

“You’re not anxious about your memory loss?”

Their expression became somewhat intense. “... You think I’m not? I-I just don’t want it to get in the way. There’s nothing I can really do.”

“Isn’t it scary to just… Forget that much? You can’t even remember things like your name and your gender! Are…”

They simply closed their mouth and stared. It took them a couple tense seconds before they shook it off and continued browsing.

I decided to change the subject. “So… What was with you and Gundham?”

“He was the first person I told about my memory issues. When I did, he insisted it was a ‘curse’ and dragged me along to consult other students and ‘verify’.” They pulled a t-shirt with ‘Jabberwock Island’ branding off the rack to examine it.

“‘Jabberwock Island’, huh? That must be…”

“The name of this island. It certainly adds up with the name of the park.”

“I think I’ve heard of that before.” I scratched my chin. “Although, I travel a lot for work, so I’ve heard about plenty of islands…”

“It’s supposed to be a popular tourist attraction. If this is Jabberwock, why and how is this entire isle suddenly unpopulated?”

If they’re right about that, then that certainly seems… “We’ve been trapped here for a murder game, haven’t we? Us being here in itself is pretty sinister.”

“This must mean…” They cut themself off with a long yawn. “Hajime.”

“Yeah?”

“It’s getting late. Let’s talk more tomorrow.” 

At about 9:30 PM, we finally departed from the store and headed home to our cottages. I felt like I learned more about Haishiro that day. 

It may have been hard to beat the heat, but the frigid nights on the island made you miss it as soon as the sun went down. Walking into my cottage and getting bombarded with warm air was an addicting feeling. I regret not buying some pyjamas at the supermarket, since my entire cottage lacked any. A truckload of the same outfit, but not even a single set of PJs!? I had to snuggle into bed in my stiff everyday attire. 

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

Huh?

"Dear students. It is now 10 PM. This is when I'd normally send you off to sleep, but not tonight! At your earliest convenience, please meet at Jabberwock Park. Love, Monomi."

Just as I was starting to get tired…

I didn't even bother to reapply my accessories, I just threw on my tennis shoes and begrudgingly headed out. And now I wished that I bought a coat at the supermarket... Looks like I knew what I was doing tomorrow morning. The nights were so dark and bleak that it was hard to navigate, but I eventually found my way across the bridge and to the park. It seemed I was somewhat late, with the rest of the class already huddled. A portable stage, that definitely wasn't there before, stood in the center of the park. Whenever we were grouped together, chatter was a guarantee.

"Fuck, I dunno." Fuyuhiko responded to something.

"Then why? This is stupid!" Hiyoko held her temples. 

"I, for one, support it! Denying an ally may be even more foolish." Byakuya purred. "... Or maybe I just want to see what happens?"

"All of you, quiet!" Mahiru barked.

I lacked the context to even guess what they were talking about, but one thing was very obvious; they were tired. Not even emotionally this time, they all just looked and sounded physically exhausted. Couldn't this meeting wait until morning? Whatever Monomi was doing, it better have been real important…

I felt sudden weight settle on my shoulders, as two tiny arms rested on top of my head. 

"Sorry, Hajime! I just needed a better view." Monokuma mused. "Hard to see in a crowd when you're two feet tall!" 

"Oh, speak of the devil." Mahiru snarked. What? "Tell me again why we need to put up with this thing?"

"Monokuma? I get why you're suspi-"

"See? It even looks like her! It's creepy." Kazuichi shuddered.

"The only reason I look like this is because of my sister! Not me!"

Hiyoko waved her arms. "Kyahaha! He still admits they're related! What a bad liar!"

"Goddamnit, Fuyuhiko. This is a waste of time." The Ultimate Yakuza nagged.

"Shut the fuck up. Look. The only reason I even said so is because camera boy wanted to 'give him a chance'." The Ultimate Nurse motioned to the only person in the group with a camera.

Mahiru grumbled. "Jeez! We're not putting our safety on the line just for-"

"Hey." Nekomaru couldn't speak louder to save his life, but his assertiveness caught all the attention he needed. "I don't think Monokuma means any harm. Since we got here, he's done nothing but try and help us, hasn't he? He even tried to fight off Monomi, despite coming up short." He was articulating the things I struggled to even say so effortlessly.

"But he-"

"Name one thing he's done to try and hurt us."

"..."

"Doesn't he deserve at least a little trust?" The Ultimate Gamer begged.

"..." Mahiru poked just above my head. "No funny business, got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" The bear squeaked.

Our chatter was interrupted by the sound of footsteps across the stage.

"It's so nice to see you!" The dreadful image of our captor greeted us. 

Groans rolled out from the crowd.

"You see, to celebrate the beginning of our fun school trip, I've decided to put on a bit of a show! Just let me gather a few things, first."

The class broke out in uneasy chatter. Speculation, sharing anxieties and just complaining about a lack of energy were the bulk of what I heard. It seemed Monomi was taking her time. Then, something strange happened.

"Huh!? Wait! N-n-no, wait! I-" Monokuma suddenly strained his voice. In an instant, I felt his weight disappear off my shoulders. I patted around to confirm that he indeed poofed away, and it didn't sound like it was by his own will.

Monomi jumped back onto the stage, hitting the metal with a loud bang. "Thank you for your patience!" The stage was otherwise bare, aside from a petrified Monokuma tucked into the corner. "Now, I present to you all, a stageplay I've been working on!" The lighting of the stage switched off, coating it in dense darkness. A spotlight shined over Monomi, revealing her new wardrobe. She now donned a lavish-looking school uniform. "The story... Of a student."

Soft piano music, from seemingly nowhere, played. "She was once a child like any other. Plain, simple, one-note face in the crowd." The rabbit paced around. "She led a narrow life with no grand future, no adventure, just a bland straight-B student with a fate in the human rat race. Her lack of skills, dreams, ambition… She only had herself to blame." She paused briefly to cough. "Naturally, she looked up to those with confidence and talent… Those with a bright future in their hands. It sure took her awhile, but she decided that she had enough with her dull existence." She cracked open a book and flipped through the pages. "She picked something she was interested in, and for years and years, she studied. She worked, she traveled, she scrapped together all she had. She worked her butt off on this skill to make it a total mastery of the art. One might say… It became an ultimate talent." 

The book was thrown behind her with a thud, and she pulled out an envelope. "It took her entire life, but she finally had a dream, and she finally reached it. A school welcomed her in with open arms, a school she'd been looking at for so long." She tossed away the envelope in favor of a book bag to dance around with. "Her school life, full of friends, full of enemies, the good times, the bad times, the best years of her life. This was a time she would never forget…" Her red eye gleamed as she shot a glare to the audience. "... Or at least, she shouldn't have forgotten." Those words were met with confused muttering. "You see, this story had… An antagonist!" Another spotlight came to life, as it revealed another figure. Monokuma was dressed in black face paint, a tattered black cape and his mouth was lined with plastic fangs. A very typical bad guy. "However, the villain didn't look like that. He looked a little more… like THIS." 

"Eh!?" The bear called out, merely a beat before he was engulfed in smoke. It was a sudden poof, red and… Glittery? It soon dissipated to reveal twitching white ears, red coattails with lacey gold details… A cream bowtie… And two twinkling black eyes. Even an unpainted wood replica of his wand lied in his hands. Unmistakably… Ukuma himself?

"Every moment, every second that she spent in paradise should've stuck in her head… But none of it did. Because a bear… a certain bear…" She leaned back and grabbed Ukuma's paws, pulling them to her head. "... ERASED ALL OF HER SCHOOL MEMORIES!"

The crowd had no reaction to give her. They all simply stared ahead. Unable to blink. 

At least, that's how I was.

"If any of that sounded familiar to you… I think you know exactly what to do next." With a snap of her fingers, the lights returned, all the costumes were removed. And, with a curtsy, she poofed away.

Eyes were immediately drawn to the bear, left shivering in his sweat on the stage.


	9. Chapter 1: For Here or To Go - 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Free time poorly spent.

"W-what... What was she talking about? With the memory wiping?" Mikan whined, cowering from the midnight air.

"We, as a collective, were swindled from our recollection at once!? This curse is worse than I anticipated…" Gundham clung to his shoulders tightly.

"Of course it wasn't just that land whale! You ALL seem stupid enough to go and get brainwashed!" Hiyoko giggled.

"But that includes you, too!" Mahiru pointed out.

"Memory wiped? Brainwashed? Sounds like Ibuki's mind must be squeaky clean!" The Ultimate Breeder said, with inappropriate excitement.

I spoke up so uncertainly, so unsure, my words frosted with denial at the relevant possibility. "... Could Monokuma really have erased our memories?"

"Memory wiping is pure Sci-Fi, but that bastard is always up to some magical bullshit! How could he not have!?" Fuyuhiko weaved his arms tightly together as he responded.

"This is ridiculous… I won't-... I won't believe it… Yeah, that's it…" Teruteru chuckled wearily to himself.

No… Right? How could he do something like that? How could he, after all he's done for us? My… I went to Hope's Peak. I've been inside Hope's Peak. Not this island, but on the campus of my dreams. I've worked so hard for my tuition… Only to forget it? No matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I thought, I couldn't get a crumb of my memory to come back to me. I couldn't… Do anything.

Mahiru willed her way through the thick audience. "I knew it… From the damn start!" She clenched her fist at the plush. "I shouldn't have taken my chances, even for a moment."

"I-It's not what it sounds like!" Monokuma defensively shot his hands up. "You have to listen to me, I-"

"We've already heard enough." Peko stepped forward and pointed, the other two athletes already in tow.

"I-... This is a mistake. I didn't do anything." The bear's speech became more pointed, almost aggressive. "Wha-... What are you going to do to me?"

Hands grasped my shoulders, pushing me to the side to make way for someone more important. "Oh? I find it rather odd that you'd be... Scared." Byakuya adjusted his hair barrettes, so casually. It must've been that hypnotic idol charm; that's the only explanation for his voice affecting me so strongly, making my whole body go cold. "When the Ultimates are done tearing you limb from limb, ripping your pathetic little body to fluffy shreds… You'll just come back. Like nothing happened."

Our… Teacher? He only responded by shivering where he stood.

"... Or are you afraid of something else, perhaps? Something we don't know about?" That smile. It only spread across his pretty face once in a while, but that empty grin was never shown for normal happiness, only Byakuya's strange brand of personal pleasure. "That's quite concerning, isn't it?"

Monokuma simply shook with... something. He shook like he was about to explode. His arms wrapped snugly around his chest like he was trying to control it. The stress came down heavy in beads of sweat until he finally blurted. "I'M NOT THE ONE YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT."

All muttering, and movement for the matter, halted.

It took him a few breaths to regain his composure. "One of you… Isn't supposed to be here."

The shifting faces of concern and confusion were still silent.

"It's been bothering me, but I didn't see it as an issue before. A certain number of students are supposed to be here, but whenever I had to count… I could've sworn that there was more than the intended 15." Whenever he was worried before, it was comical, or it at least had hints of bravery. This was different. "Someone here, that I don't know about… Is an intruder."

"Huh!?" 

As if everyone wasn't stressed enough, the air just became a lot harder to breathe. The word 'intruder' echoed across the voices around me.

"An intruder? Should you not already know of them?" Sonia played with a lock of her hair. "If anyone is amiss?"

"That's the kicker." He placed his paws on his chest and shook his head. "I don't. That's why I needed to tell you. To warn you."

"Warn us…?"

"You… I might not be on the right foot right now, but I don't care. I can't do anything about the killing game, but I'm going to try my damnedest to protect you all." In spite of protests, he poofed off. He always did that, disappearing before anyone had the chance to ask questions, but this time seemed the most desperating.

"Wha- What do we do now…?" Kazuichi whimpered.

The self-appointed leader simply closed her eyes and hung her head. "We will get some sleep. Whoever the intruder is, we'll make a plan tomorrow." She paused just to stretch. "But as it stands, we don't have the energy right now." With her sunken stare, it seemed like she was mostly talking on her own behalf.

And everyone… Agreed. Silently, that is, but the body language of my classmates all said their thanks. We all quietly funneled out of the park. Nobody even bothered to spark some chatter as we made b-lines to our cottages. I, however, took a break from my course while I was passing Rocket Punch. I needed my best sleep after all that, and, well, I wasn't feeling quite so comfy in my current clothes. The selection on PJs was vast, allowing me to find a section of some fuzzy sets. After picking out a nice green outfit (with pine trees on it, just thought that was nice), I picked out an additional brown hiking coat and placed them in my basket. As I was finding my way to the cash register, however, it hit me.

"... I don't have any money."

I was so used to having a generous wad in my pocket, but my inventory had been wiped since I got here. They didn't even let me keep my wallet. When I made my way to checkout, there was a bigger problem to wrap my head around… There were no employees.

"HAJIME!"

Monokuma popped into existence in front of me. Sure, maybe him being there was pretty unexpected and tense, but our silent staring contest lasted too long for comfort.

"Ok, so I know that things are pretty awkward between us… But c'mon! Lemme just explain this."

Not knowing what to even say, I just wordlessly nodded, allowing him to continue.

He became audibly more relaxed. "Owners of eHandbooks can purchase wares… Without even purchasing! Everything is free, and restocked the next day! The only limitation is that you can only make one 'paying' trip per day, unless allowed otherwise. So don't worry about paying a cent… Unless it's for those weird vending machines, I dunno what those even take." He shook his head and exclaimed as he screwed off. "See ya later, kid!"

I glanced at the time on the distant clock section. All were synced to about 11:57 PM. I needed to make it out of there before my trip counted as tomorrow's.

I wish I could say that my sleep was just unremarkable… Or that I even got much sleep at all. It must’ve been a part of that rabbit’s cruel, twisted game to dump so much damning info in the middle of the night. 

We would’ve just gone to sleep and watched it in the morning. 

Or… Went to sleep and never even had to do that.

Never had to do any of this.

But I guess my life is too unfair for that.

The night dragged on so slowly, yet so fast. Every time I checked my alarm clock, it was an even more unreasonable hour than the last. I couldn’t sleep. This wasn't a detour. All three years of my Hope's Peak attendance have been spent, and I don't remember any of it. I don't remember any of it. I don't remember something I've dedicated all of my teenaged years to, and it's Monokuma's fault. The one person I thought I could trust…

…

… But I wasn't as mad at him as I should've been.

There was something worse. Just the word alone makes my empty cottage feel more lonely.

'Intruder'.

I want to give people a fair chance, and I still do, but the intruder. Someone here isn't who they say they are. Someone who I'm convinced is on the same footing as me is actively deceiving me. Who could it be? Someone suspicious? There's Fuyuhiko with his snappy judgements, Gundham with his questionable persona, Mahiru with her power appetite, Teruteru with his stubborn denials, Byakuya with his 180 of a 'true face'...

It could be anyone. And that's even scarier of a betrayal.

I wanted to push all these thoughts into the back of my mind, and just forget all of this, but you can’t ignore reality. I needed to come to some sort of conclusion before I could finally sleep. What could I even do? Lock myself in my cottage, crying my bodyweight in tears over something I can't control? That's what my head wanted me to do, but it just sounded… Pathetic. How could I just give up? After all I've been through, why would I even consider throwing in the towel as an option?

All I could do is power through. Whatever happens going forward, I'm just going to have to try my best. That was the vow I made to myself, finally satisfying myself enough to drift off to sleep.

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

"Dear students. It's now 10:00 AM. Good morning everyone! Please have a lovely day in this sunny tropical paradise! Love, Monomi."

The covers were catapulted to the floor, as I practically jumped out of bed. Bright sunlight spilled in from every nook and cranny as I rested my fists on my hips, breathing the fruity island air. I wasted no time changing into a fresh outfit, brushing my teeth, combing my hair (giving up on making it perfect), slinging my camera over my shoulder and heading out. Pleasant breeze blew over as I jogged down to the restaurant, newfound confidence in my stride. Today was going to be a good day on this terrible island, and I just had to make it so.

For the first time, I was early. Very early. There were only three other students there already. The Ultimate Cook, the Ultimate Mechanic and the Ultimate Traditional Dancer simply stood, staring into each-other's weary expressions. I sincerely pitied the uncertainty written all over their faces, but that wasn't going to be me. I greeted everyone else as they filed in, and only got greetings back from Haishiro and Byakuya (Who somehow managed to get under my skin with 'Good morning, Mr. Hinata', but I shouldn't mind). Everyone seemed so drained as they stumbled around, not even having the will to talk with each-other. Everyone except one person. Someone who wasn't even there…

"Hey, guys? Where's Mahiru?"

"Fuck if I know? That bastard hasn't shown her face all morning." The Ultimate Nurse huffed.

Nekomaru looked up from his 3TS "I think she's just sleeping in."

"Coward. Can't even bother to show up."

"H-how are we supposed to come up with a plan without her…? What will we do about the intruder?" The Ultimate Gymnast stammered.

"Ugh! Don't expect me to wait for her." The Ultimate Princess immediately lifted her skirt and left.

"Alright! Whoever's the intruder, confess now!" Kazuichi pointed into the group around him, expression tense. "... Please?"

"No, we need a better plan than that to out this person." The Ultimate Team Manager stroked her chin. "But what?"

The way this conversation was going started to bother me. "Guys? This 'Intruder' person is any one of us, right? Listening right now?" I adjusted the collar of my shirt. "Maybe we should… Get to know each-other better, before we decide on something like this?"

"He makes a good point" The Ultimate Gamer stuffed the 3TS in his pocket, seemingly ready to leave. "It'd be best to just chill for now."

"Let's get all chilly! Brrr!" Ibuki mock shuddered.

Nobody objected to the idea, so it didn't take long for the class to file out of the restaurant. I stayed behind, needing to have a quick breakfast before I can go. Taking a fresh plate, I piled on crepes, cocktail shrimp, a small bowl of fruit salad and finally, the best for last, a hearty cup of orange juice. Nothing quite hits the spot like liquid, citrus heaven. I was setting this meal down in a booth, when I heard somebody walk up from behind.

"Heeey!" I turned to see The Ultimate Rockstar, upholding a wide grin on his face. His whole head was slick with sweat, some strands of loose brunette hair stuck to his forehead. Despite the smile, it didn't seem that his previous apprehension quite went away. "Ca-... Can we… Hang out? Just the two of us?" He gestured with two fingers.

"Ah… I'm sorry. I'm actually just about to eat breakfast."

He leaned to the left to look at the table behind me. "Perfect! We can, uh, eat together! Have a sorta date! You know?" 

"... You know what? Sure."

As I was sitting down to start eating, Teruteru rushed to put an odd mix of food on a plate, and sat across from me in the booth. 

It took a long moment of silent eating until he finally spoke up. "Hajime… How's your day, my good sir?"

"... Ok, I gue-"

"Good, good! Aha." He skewered some peas on a fork prong. "So! I-... I had a question for you."

"What is it?"

"Are you, perhaps… The intruder?"

Huh!?

Where did that come from!?

"If you are… You can tell me. I won't tell anyone else! I promise! So…"

"What makes you think I'm the intruder!?"

"It's not you particularly… Just, if you are…" He fidgeted with his fork. His brows faltered and his mouth couldn't even upkeep the smile anymore. Was he…

"Why are you so worried about this?"

"Ah? What do you mean? I-"

"You said that you wouldn't believe any of this, you denied the killing game outright. Why do you suddenly need to know who the intruder is?"

"..." His face tensed up into a grimace as he stared into his plate.

"What's wrong?"

His fingertips tapped rhythmically together. "... You know that part of the play? Where it started talking about her home and her family, especially about her…"

Hold on… Huh? That doesn't sound right. I don't remember the stage play talking about any of that...

"It just… I-… Waaah! Hajimeee!" He abruptly got up from his seat and ran around the table, diving into my side of the booth.

"Woah, hey! What's gotten into you!?" After tackling me, he simply stuck. Clung to me like a koala on a eucalyptus tree. I carefully had to pry him off.

"Eh? Not into that sort of thing? That's disappointing…"

"Please, Teruteru."

His gaze averted mine as he sunk into the bench cushion. "I…" It seemed like he was about to say something, but "... I won't do it, alright?"

"Huh? Do what?"

"Later, Hajime! We should definitely go out again sometime!" He dodged my calls for him as he hurried out of the restaurant. I… Think I learned more about Teruteru that day?

Wait, that's right! I promised that I was going to talk more with Haishiro today, wasn't I? Assuming that it worked like any restaurant, I chugged the last of my OJ and decided to just leave the two plates there. I got the idea of bringing the mystery something as we met up, so I grabbed a cup and filled it with some lobster meat before I headed out.

I never had a chance to use the doorbells before, so I was rather enthused to finally try it.

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

… Huh. I guess I was half-expecting a jaunty little tune, or something. That sound strikes a nerve in me to this day.

"Who is it?"

"Hajime!"

For a few seconds, I heard the noise of a room being shuffled around until they finally spoke again. "... It's unlocked."

The air was immediately sweet and fragrant as I walked in. It smelled like… Muffins? I wasn't sure. "Ah… What is that?"

The cabin was quite plain, near identical to mine. The only difference being the lack of a corkboard and an empty desk and chair to the right of the room. They were sat hunched over on their bed. "That's simply a candle I bought earlier. Cherry cobbler scented." Said candle was the only item on their slanted desk.

"You must really like cobbler."

"I don't have much of a preference for any food. It just smelled nice."

Their mattress felt different from mine as I sat, certainly stiffer. Or was it just the innards being displaced to my side? "So you just really like food." … Wait, did I say that out loud? Why do I keep saying the wrong things around them!?

"That's a fair assessment, nothing dishonest about it." I let out a sigh when I heard no trace of offense in their voice.

"Well, that's good. Because-" I offered them the cup.

There was a sparkle in their eyes as they slowly took it. They sighed. "Hajime, you really didn't have to."

"Think of it as paying back for yesterday!"

"... Thank you." They immediately began to munch on bits of the claw meat. 

It was a nice moment we shared, just enjoying the silence only broken by Haishiro's messy eating. It allowed me to focus on my thoughts… My tense, racing thoughts… I don't know how, but they read me like a book.

"You're still worried about last night."

"... How can I not be? It's just so much to take in." 

They picked at the cup's contents for a moment before they spoke again. "We really shouldn't be worried about any of it."

"Huh?"

"We're exactly where Monomi wants us to be, scared and uncertain, unable to trust our own classmates… And ultimately, desperate to escape this fear." They paused to down the last piece of shellfish. "She'll do anything for us to-... Hajime?"

"Yeah?"

"... Someone is going to die."

"Huh!?" This prickling feeling of dread washed over me, with how serious and convinced they sounded. They really meant what they just said. But why?

"I don't want to say something like that, but what Mahiru's been telling everyone isn't helping. We need to be able to trust each-other, unless we want this sense of desperation to take over, and make us do… Something we'll regret."

"Is that what you two were arguing about yesterday?"

They rested their chin in their palms. "She won't listen to me, and I don't blame her."

I wasn't sure quite what to say, or where the conversation would even go at this point. I made a vow that I won't let anything bring me down, and this was getting dangerously close. I got up from my seat and headed towards the door. "I have to head out now, I'll think about what you said."

Instead of staying where they sat, they got up and followed me when I stepped out the door.

"Ah?"

"I just need to bring this cup back to the restaurant."

"... Oh! Don't worry about that, I'll just do it!"

They placed the glass in my hands. "Thank you."

Haishiro was certainly odd to me, but I didn't quite feel like they were a bad guy. I felt like I learned a lot more about them that day. It was a fairly quick trek to the hotel. Out of the cottages, pass the poolside, pass old buildi-

Ah...?

…

… Why is the door open?

I slowly walked towards the door with a strange feeling filling my chest. How did someone get in? Wasn't M-

"HAJIME!" Right on que, he appeared to block my entry. The plush looked especially nervous. "C'mon! I know you hate me now, you all do, but I can't let you in! Even if you-"

"The door's open."

He made an odd squeaking noise as he turned to see it. "U-uh. Eheh, well, about that... I'll be right back!" The bear waddled his way inside.

The seconds ticked by slowly as I waited for him to investigate. Who would really have any business in there? Was it just somebody as curious as I was? Lucky them to get past the bear. But how did they do it? Monokuma seemed to have some sort of sixth sense for seeing where students were, and this ability to appear instantly wherever he's needed. Who was sneaky enough to-

Then it happened.

That sudden yelp.

Screechy, loud, high-pitched. It shocked adrenaline into my legs, pulling me inside of the building at once, stumbling as I busted through the cracked door. 

The immediate inside was a dusty reception room, which passed into a large hallway. To my left were large double doors, open as Monokuma stumbled out of them. He muttered jumbled combinations of the phrases "This is bad.", "How did this happen?", and the haunting "What have I done?". 

My heart pumped hard against my ribs, making my whole chest ache. It was so hard to make my legs move forward as I entered the room. A stinging, cooling feeling throughout my nerves. Inside was spacious and dirty, every little sound echoing off the walls. In the middle of the wood plank flooring, a hole. A large, evenly round hole. I couldn't tell what was there, but I had a feeling. A terrible feeling that made my whole body resist movement. No part of me wanted to approach, and yet I willed forward. Something I regret. I could've just left, I could've just minded my own business. What I saw… Is burned to the back of my mind to this day.

Still, perfectly still. All joints were bent in impossible ways, looking at it hurt my own. Dents caved in all around the body. Pink, thick oozing pink spilling from the mouth and pooling to the ground beneath the floor, where the body laid. Despite the horrific conditions, the face was unnervingly calm. It was like she was just sleeping… But I knew she would never wake up again.

It took a sharp pain in my lungs to make me realize that I was screaming, and screaming harder than I've ever had to in my entire life.

I saw Chiaki Nanami, the Ultimate Mechanic, dead. Merely an empty, rotting shell of the girl I once knew.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?" Booming footsteps reverberated into the building at immense speed. Someone approached from behind me, and they had to witness the same thing I did.

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

"Dear students. At last! A body has been discovered! We will now commence a short investigation period following the class trial. Please read the Monomi Files for more information. Love, Monomi!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to post this tommorow, but I'd probably forget to if I held off. Merry early Christmas!


	10. Chapter 1: For Here or To Go - Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A... Brief investigation.

Nothing.

There was nothing.

My vision was blurred, my hearing only picked up the faintest muffling of a voice. My head was burning, the image shifting around in my mind. This can't be happening… Right?

This can't be happening.

None of this was happening.

…

I'm still here.

I hadn't known Chiaki very well, and I never would. I never even thought to talk to her much at all. 

I felt… Guilty.

If I had been with her, I could've prevented this. All of this. My chance was wasted, much like all of hers. It was my fault.

Ok… Monomi said we'd have to investigate, right? But I couldn't look at the body without feeling sick to my stomach. I couldn't look at any of this room without stomach acid burning in my throat. I wanted to leave. I needed to leave. I wasn't supposed to be here, to see this. 

But there was one thing holding me back, by the shoulders. 

"I understand how you feel." My reality came into focus as I looked ahead. Nekomaru held me in a reassuring gaze… When did he get here? I saw a couple other students, Kazuichi cowered behind a seething Akane. Haishiro, the yelling voice from moments ago, simply stared into the hole. "We have to hold together, as terrible as this is."

Hold together. He says that like I haven't been trying that for three days straight. Hold together. I'd sure love to do that. If only it was as easy to do as it was to say it. Walk with a stride, hold your chin up high… I did all of that, and someone died. Someone's precious life, ended abruptly like a book with the pages torn out. 

While I was striding around smugly, ignoring all of our problems.

It really was my fault, wasn't it?

I felt my body deflate like a blow-up lawn statue. My brain was too fogged to notice the reactions as the rest of the class filled the room. All I saw was that uniform look of distress. The students flocked the… Crime scene, like birds when a french fry is tossed into the street. Few words were shared as the gamer patted my shoulder and backed off.

The silence was broken as the final student finally entered, making a scene of it. Her eyes shifted around as she trudged to the hole.

"Force of leadership! Your appearance is appreciated." Gundham shuffled his arms into a cross. "What do you make of this… Display of mortality?"

Mahiru inspected the corpse, before shaking her head and standing upright. "It just had to be a girl, huh?" She turned and approached the masculine classmates. "Which one of you did this?"

"W-why us? It could've easily been a chick!" Kazuichi was visibly shaken up as defended.

"And would the culprit really out themself so easily?" Nekomaru reasoned.

As I turned my attention away from Mahiru's annoyance, I decided to try and find someone to talk to about this.

"Ah, Chiaki. How terrible." Sonia stated, somewhat blandly. "In spite of her narcolepsy, she had seemed like such a nice girl." … Narcolepsy, huh? Must've been why she was always so tired.

"H-how!? I… How could…" Mikan whined, pulling at the roots of her hair. 

"That's what we'll have to figure out." As Peko pulled out a Monomi file, sudden yells cut through the air.

"STOP IT!"

"Don't. Touch. Me."

"Are you stupid?! Don't touch _her_!"

Attention was pulled to the center of the room. Mahiru, a snarl on her face, had a tight grasp on Byakuya's forearms, as he struggled to squirm away.

"What do you think you're doing!?"

"I was examining the body, as we're expected to." The idol scoffed back.

"Sure didn't seem like it. The way you played with her arm was disgusting!" 

"I wasn't 'playing' with it."

"Don't lie!" The gangster leaned into his face, real close. "You're just a sick pervert, aren't you?"

"... Pervert!?" His expression became so sour, I could taste lemon. "To be accused of something like that, by somebody so low!"

"Low!? I'll show you low! Six feet underground, even!" The Ultimate Yakuza pulled up her already short sleeve. "Because I think I already know who the killer is!"

"And now you have the audacity to accuse me of murder. What evidence do you even have?"

"Well, I clearly can't trust anything about you, for starters!"

"Why can't you just learn your place, and stay there?"

"My place is above the biggest crime syndicate in Japan. Your's is between 50 bodyguards, 'cause you can't do anything by yourself! Sorry excuse of a man!"

"Then how am I supposed to carry out a murder, hm?"

"SHUT UP!"

That last remark didn't belong to either of the two, but rather a tense Kazuichi as he pulled at his apron straps. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! This is stupid!"

"I must agree. Turning against each-other will only waste time. He have a murder to investigate." Peko said. As true as it was, I hated hearing that word.

The two hotshots pulled away from each-other in a defeated huff, glaring as they went their separate ways.

The coach sighed and scrolled through the file. “This… Doesn’t tell us anything.”

“What do you mean?”

“All it states is the time and place of discovery. Are these not supposed to be useful?” She pushed the glasses higher on her nose. “What we need to know is when it took place, rather than when it was discovered. Akane, do you have any clues?”

The dancer stretched her back out. “Nah, I was busy wandering around the supermarket with that princess all day.”

“Hajime?”

I thought back for a second. “... Yes, actually! I passed by the building a while before I saw the body, and it was still closed.”

“When was this?”

“... 1:40 PM? Give or take.”

She glanced at the file once more. “So, this could’ve occurred at any time during one hour. 1:40 - 2:51... I say that’s a decent time frame.” She turned her attention to me. “And to confirm, where else were you during this?”

“I was at a cabin with someone else.”

“I can confirm.”

It was embarrassing looking back, how wildly I yelped and jumped at a presence I should've already noticed. The subject of my alibi was standing just to my right that entire time. There was a short moment of stun until they finally spoke again. “Sorry, I-... Should’ve made myself known.”

“Air-tight alibi. Thank you, Hajime.” The Ultimate Team Manager turned on her heel, and slowly walked out the door. The three other girls around her joined. “We’ll investigate the exterior.”

An awkward moment passed before I turned to Haishiro. “What do we do now?” 

Their eyes darted around. “Me?”

“Yeah! Who else?”

They looked somewhat apprehensive as they pondered “Well…” With sudden certainty, they broke off to approach the wall of the building.

Fuyuhiko was stood there, resting his back against the outdated wallpaper. “What’s your deal?”

“You’re the… Ultimate Nurse, correct?”

“Yeah? Thought that was pretty obvious.”

“Would you be willing to perform... An autopsy?

“Eh? On the body?” He looked to the hole a moment before he answered. “... I guess? Never done it before, but I should be able to figure out this shit.”

As the nurse approached the center of the room, I walked up to Haishiro once more. “That was smart!”

It was like that praise struck a nerve when I watched their expression grow anxious. Their voice was always… Unique, but this was the first time I heard it crack like it did. “It was j **uU** ust the ba **A** sics! I r **EE** eally di **ID** dn’t do anything sm **MA** art.”

“I would’ve never thought to have done that!”

“Really, I’m n **O** ot- I- We **L** ll-”

I almost started to get annoyed. “Come on, of course I think you’re smart!”

They let out a breath, sounding somewhat defeated. “If you insist...”

“Insist? What do you-”

“Hey chucklefucks, you can quit arguing now. I got the details.”

“That was quick.” They quirked an eyebrow.

“Well, he’s an Ultimate after all.” I felt to note.

“It only took a little poking and prodding to tell me what’s up.” Fuyuhiko cleared his throat. “80% of those injuries? Bullshit. They don’t matter.”

“... Huh?!”

“Those broken and dented areas sure are gruesome, but not fatal. They could’ve come after the crown jewel of this carnage.” He pressed a hand to his chest to demonstrate. “The chest was caved in. The muscle can’t even hold it’s shape ‘cause the ribs were all snapped inward. It’s the only physical injury that could’ve finished her. Fuckin’ brutal.”

“So… A massive blow to the chest?”

“You got it. And there’s no broken skin, so it was blunt.” With that, the Ultimate nurse returned to leaning against the wall, signalling that his job was done.

We silently agreed to check out the body for ourselves, as hard as that was for me. Although I couldn’t bring myself to touch her, his assessment looked true. I only somewhat noticed it upon discovery, but what intrigued me was the blood that had gushed out from the mouth. The sight made me feel sick, seeing as I could barely handle witnessing bloody noses in class, but it provoked my thoughts for a moment. What could it indicate?

“Hajime. Take a look at this.” With a hand, the mystery brought my attention to the sides of the hole. The floorboards broke, that was obvious with the lost halves located under the body. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. “Take a closer look.” Following that instruction, I noticed something. Only half of the wood splintered where it broke, the top part seemed… Clean. 

“Ah… But what does this mean?” 

“Looks strange, doesn't it?”

Sparkling in the depths of the underfloor caught my eye. I scooted over to its respective side, and carefully reached in next to the body. After feeling around, and nearly pulling a muscle, I pulled something out; A bread knife from the diner. I remember seeing it in the kitchen when I met Kazuichi. My first thought was it's use as a murder weapon, but… That couldn't be it, huh? It was clean, and with the way it was lazily dumped, I doubt they had the thought nor means to wash it off. There wasn't even any broken skin on the corpse. I took a mental note of it and simply placed it on the above floor, in case anybody else had to see it.

As I was about to stand up and follow Haishiro to the door, something… Odd caught my attention. Tucked under Chiaki, just below her armpit, was something small and flat. It’s bright colors contrasted with the dull tones of her overalls. I carefully pulled it out to examine. Unmistakably, it was an Ukuma sticker. His permanently curious expression was printed over the top. It was missing its paper backing, and flipping it revealed that the adhesive was covered in dust. What was this doing here…?

“Hajime?”

“Oh! Coming!” I pocketed it and jogged up to join the Ultimate ???’s side.

I followed them as they wandered down to the cabins, not sure what we'd be doing next until they explained. "We're going to relay our findings to the rest of the class, wherever they ran off to."

"Really? Man, I wish I wrote this down somewhere." I scratched the back of my head. "My memory isn't… Great. I should've brought a notebook, or something!"

"I wouldn't worry about it. Cabins don't contain stationary, anyways. I checked."

"Ah. You'd think they would."

I stopped in time with Haishiro's sudden halt. Tracing their stare, I found myself gazing at an isolating sight… Chiaki's abode.

"Nobody's checked inside yet?" They asked.

Running on pure emotion, I responded. "... Why would they? That sounds wrong."

"Searching her cabin?"

"Yeah! I mean, invading her privacy like that? Isn't that disrespectful?"

"It o **O** nly seems disrespectf **uU** ul when you put it li **IK** ke that!" Their voice began cracking again. "We j **JU** ust… Need to get to the truth. Wouldn't Chiaki have wanted that?"

They were, regretfully, right. I had no rebuttal. "... Alright. Let's get it over with."

We entered the cabin slowly. It didn't take any more than the flooding sunlight to find something interesting. On a workbench sat in the center of the room, laid a piece of paper. The two creases from being folded and the neat handwriting gave off an aura of relevance. Though it was hesitant on my end, we had the same instinct, as we both approached the parchment. The Ultimate ??? snatched the paper first. As they silently read over the words, their eyes widened and their lips slightly parted with intrigue. Curiosity washing over me, I didn't hesitate to grab it when they motioned the letter over to me. The kanji was written rather oddly, but I was able to make out the words.

' _Chiaki Nanami,_

_I want to meet with you today, as we had before. However, we need this to be private._

_I found something that might concern you._

_At 2:20 sharp, please meet me, alone, in the abandoned building; I was allowed access, but only for a limited time. Try not to tell anyone about this, ok?_

_Regards._ '

Damn it. If only they put a signature. Smart on them for relying on the context clues, I guess. The location, the recipient, the time frame… It all adds up perfectly. Just one or two words, and we could've just found the exact answer.

"We… Would've never seen this if we avoided the cabin."

"I know, I know." I waved my hand at them. "I just hate it in here."

"I think we should keep looking."

"Keep looking!? Come on, I think we've seen enough. This is making me sick."

"We need to! We haven't even established a murder wea-"

The room suddenly filled with blue light. Chiaki's television screen sparkled with static, until it faded into a familiar screen. Monomi, lounging on her tall chair, sipping at a tropical drink so carelessly. That half smile mocked me as the bell rang.

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

"Dear students. Alrighty, then! I think that's enough investigation for now! Please meet up at the first island! Absence will not be excusable! You all can push through with what you've found! You're gonna have to, at least. Love, Monomi! Mwah!"

The monitor shut off.

Oh.

Oh no.

...Already!?

We don't have any good clues, no murder weapons, we can't even guess who-...

This was bad.

This was very, very bad.

A large hand planted itself on my shoulder. "We should just get going"

"But- I-"

"I know. What else can we do?"

As we left the cabin, we saw Mahiru leave her own home in a huff, and the other students herding together.

I didn't want to go. 

I didn't want to do any of this, really.

And I wasn't special.

Nobody looked confident, not in the slightest. Even those who normally talked big were faltering in their stoic faces. I was kind of hoping that someone's bravery would make me feel protected, feel secure, but I was left with a lonely feeling as nobody even had the will to speak.

The Monomi Rock stood tall, four statues of the titular rabbit's head were etched into the stone. As the jagged eyes glowed, the mountainous boulder began to quake. Before I knew it, the entrance to our uncertain future had been opened.

There was plenty of space between all of us, yet the elevator we shuffled into was claustrophobic. It felt like I barely had room to breathe, to live. It was an unnerving silence that filled the shaft, the students around me had turned to statues.

It went on like this, too long for comfort.

"So much for a tropical school trip." The Ultimate Cook suddenly whined. "I could be lazing about, or experimenting with coconut. This blows."

"A game of life and death indeed 'blows'." The Ultimate Swordswoman added, seemingly to the cook's dismay.

"I… I just wanna go home!" Kazuichi's words disturbed the hearts around him. "Just let me go, ok?! I didn't do anything!"

Whoever he was crying out to, they ignored his pleas.

"Cease it, catshit!" Hiyoko pouted. "Nobody in their right mind wants to be here! You're not special…" The fabrics of her dress made obnoxious noise as she slotted her arms together.

"We should enter this trial with the best state of mind we can manage." Peko said. "Monomi neglected to provide us with sufficient information, nor did she allow enough time to investigate. We can't afford to lose this. Even if it's obvious how she only wants us to butt heads…"

"Of course it's not going to be fair for us, but there's nothing to worry about. This isn't us against each-other." Mahiru stated coldly.

"Right, but we don't-" The manager paused as the yakuza gestured for her silence.

"This Is about us… Against the bastard who killed her."

I had a feeling that was directed towards certain men in the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long! After reassessing the trial notes, I had to rewrite the whole thing halfway through.


	11. The Jumpstart Trial - Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trial of the Ultimate Mechanic's murder begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To keep you all in the loop:
> 
> Trial scenes will be written in a script-like format, to make the dialogue more digestible.

_The room was large and round, carrying an elegant echo. Walls were velvet red and lined with stadium seats, yet it seemed like no audience came to see our performance. A circle of podiums raised from the ground, as I was guesstimating the perfect amount for our class in my head. One seemed to be occupied, by a portrait on a tall stand. It displayed a monochrome shot of the late Chiaki Nanami, zoomed much too close into her face. Two screwdrivers were painted in a bloody shade of pink, crossing out her lively expression._

_I wanted to be mocked by this insensitive display… But it was somewhat comforting. It was almost like she was there, watching us try our best for her. As much as I'd rather stay in my cabin, sulking around about our misery, the doors to this debate hall were closed. There was no turning back now. Monomi herded me onto my podium, between Mahiru and where the Ultimate Mechanic would've stood._

Hajime: We'll avenge you, Chiaki. I promise.

_I've fought to make my life worth living, and now I will fight to live in it._

Monomi: Hello! Welcome to our first ever Class Trial!

Monomi: So, Blackened, let's see if you can make it count!

Monomi: I know you all just love your teacher right now, so don't worry! You know, I'm a good sister! 

Monomi: I've got the best seat in the house reserved for my widdle Monokuma.

_Falling from the ceiling and bouncing as it tugs the base was the aforementioned bear, strung up by thick pink ribbons._

Monokuma: This is humiliating…

Monomi: Hnng…! 

Monomi: Uwa!!! I can't take it anymore! Let's just begin, right now! I'm raring to go!

**_CLASS TRIAL, START!_ **

Mikan: Wah… What do we do now?

Mikan: N-none of us have even been in a courtroom, right…?

Akane: Where do we even start?

Kazuichi: Can we start with our guesses? I already have some ideas!

Kazuichi: Her! In the dress! She's all junked up in the head! How couldn't it be her?

Hiyoko: As if I'd even want to touch any of you! Don't make me laugh!

Peko: Kazuichi… Though I'm sure we all appreciate your input…

Hiyoko: I don't!

Peko: … Jumping to our conclusions is the last thing we'd want to do.

Kazuichi: Augh! What is there, then?! Huh?!

Mahiru: There's plenty of places to start.

Mahiru: Just for example, how about everyone's alibis?

Akane: An ali-what now?

Mahiru: You know, where everyone was during the time of the murder.

Akane: Oh. So if we map out where people were n' junk, we can just pick out our suspects real easy.

Kazuichi: SO IT WAS HER! IT'S GOTTA BE!

Fuyuhiko: What is he talking about now?

Kazuichi: All this time she's just been a huge jerk.

Kazuichi: She thinks we're below her and she wants us to know it.

Kazuichi: That's why she did it!

Kazuichi: That's why she left the restaurant early to prepare a murder!

Kazuichi: She has no alibi, but that didn't matter.

Kazuichi: She just wanted to kill us all for her escape!

Hajime: NO, THAT'S WRONG!

_The whole class turned to me, drawn by the sound of my sudden outburst. My cheeks burned as the social pressure came down hard._

Hajime: … What has gotten over me!?

Hajime: R-regardless, there's one hole in your argument, Kazuichi.

Hajime: She indeed left early, but according to Akane, she has been in the supermarket all day since the rest of us left the restaurant.

Akane: You got it.

Kazuichi: Sh-she could've gone to the supermarket after the murder happened!

Akane: Dude. I went straight there.

Akane: It was a three minute walk at most.

Hiyoko: I couldn't buy anything! Her ugly eyes were on my back wherever I went! 

Hiyoko: What a creep!

Kazuichi: Alright, fine! But maybe- But maybe…!

Kazuichi: MAYBE THEY'RE LYING! BOTH OF THEM!

Gundham: Such as… Accomplices?

Kazuichi: Yeah, yeah! That's the word!

Teruteru: So they both committed the murder and came up with a whole lie… To escape together?

Monomi: Escape together!?

Monomi: Oh, no-no-no-no! This ain't your daddy's killing game!

Monomi: In my game, I will not allow two students to be Blackened at once! That's simply cheating!

Peko: And the Blackened is the one who escapes, if successful…

Peko: Monomi? If there are accomplices in a case, who's the one that's considered the Blackened?

Monomi: Whoever deals the final blow!

Peko: The thing is, none of us knew this rule until now…

Peko: Meaning that they could've organized this completely unaware. It's still very well a valid possibility.

Kazuichi: IT'S HER! IT'S REALLY HER! 

Ibuki: We've already got our answer!?

Ibuki: Courtroom speedrun, any%!

Mahiru: Everyone!

Mahiru: You're not seriously going to pick a suspect without any real evidence, are you!?

Mahiru: We have a lot more to discuss, here!

Byakuya: Oh, we sure do…

Byakuya: For example… Where were you up until the body discovery?

Mahiru: … What are you on about?

Byakuya: You promised that you'd host a meeting this morning, yet you failed to show up.

Byakuya: And nobody's had any account of seeing you until Chiaki dropped dead!

Byakuya: Am I wrong?

Mahiru: Well…

Byakuya: Is it not suspicious?

Mahiru: Maybe it is! Maybe it's a cause for concern!

Mahiru: No matter what I say, you're all going to hound on me for it, so why should it be any of your business?

Byakuya: And now you refuse to explain yourself.

_It was looking bad for Mahiru, but something about this theory didn't sit right with me. What could I-_

Monokuma: MAHIRU NEVER LEFT HER COTTAGE UNTIL THE BODY ANNOUNCEMENT! THERE WAS NO-

_Another ribbon came down, wrapping snuggly around the bear's muzzle, muffling his yells._

Monomi: Stupid brother! You're spoiling the fun!

Mikan: Th-there was no what…?

_He seemed to try and respond, but none of his words were able to come through._

Teruteru: She was really in there all day!?

Teruteru: Why, I wondered, but what was she doing in there all this time!?

Teruteru: …!

Teruteru: Ohohohoho! I have an idea! A very good id-

Mahiru: I don't even wanna hear it.

Mahiru: If it'll stop any further outlandish theories, take this.

_She tossed something over to him. It was light enough to spin in the air, and the rockstar was just barely able to catch it as it bounced off of his podium. He unfolded the object, a piece of blue paper, and read aloud._

Teruteru: "It doesn't matter who, when, or how. Someone will be killed tonight, and that's a promise."

_He turned the note towards the class. I couldn't quite read it from my position, but the handwriting looked scratchy._

Hiyoko: So you're meaning to tell me that the big, scary Ultimate Yakuza… Was scared off by a little note?

Hiyoko: That's rich!

Mahiru: I found it in my mailbox this morning…

Mahiru: Why'd you think I could stand being out there when one of you planned to kill already!? Jeeze!

Haishiro: But why didn't you tell us about the note?

Mahiru: I was going to! 

Mahiru: I just… Had a middle man!

Mahiru: I spoke with Gundham earlier and asked him to tell everyone, but it sure seems like he couldn't be bothered to go through with it! 

Gundham: Blasphemy.

Gundham: Though I don't normally tamper with the mortal cycle, this matter would've concerned all of you.

Gundham: As such, I'd be willing to spend a few words, if I were aware.

Byakuya: And if you thought that he informed us…

Byakuya: Then why didn't you assume that we already knew about the note?

The gangster was struck with a flustered look, quickly washed out with anger.

Nekomaru: … Are you two gonna fight again?

Nekomaru: This isn't the time to start infighting.

Nekomaru: Well, I guess it's never the time to start infighting, but still. 

Byakuya: Fine, then! What else could we possibly discuss?

Haishiro: What about the evidence?

Haishiro: What do we know, exactly?

Peko: The death occurred some time within a one hour time frame.

Peko: Soon after, the body had supposedly been discovered in the old building by Hajime, nameless and Monokuma, residing in a hole in the floor and bleeding from the mouth.

Fuyuhiko: Various joints were broken, and her chest had been caved in. She had no open wounds.

Haishiro: Is… That it?

_The class answered the mystery with silence._

Haishiro: Well, then.

Haishiro: To add myself and Hajime's findings, a bread knife was located next to the body, though it seemed to have no… Morbid use.

Haishiro: Finally, a summoning letter was found in Chiaki's home.

Teruteru: You two make a pretty good team!

Teruteru: Maybe that's not all you... "investigated", while you were alone toge-

Mahiru: Put a sock in it.

Kazuichi: A summoning letter?

Kazuichi: That's, like, majorly important! Why didn't you say so sooner!?

Teruteru: So? What does it say?

_They patted around their jacket and the sides of their pants, before turning to me._

Haishiro: … Hajime? Do you have the note?

Hajime: No? I thought you had it.

Haishiro: …

Sonia: You found crucial evidence, but you did not think to bring it?

Haishiro: We **E** were supposed to ha **AV** ve it!

Hajime: It's not like we wanted to forget it!

Teruteru: You're kidding, right?

Teruteru: How do you forget something like that!?

Sonia: I do not think it is as convenient as that.

Sonia: Perhaps they are fabricating the existence of a letter entirely.

Hajime: You think we're lying?

Hajime: What could we even gain from that?

Sonia: … You may be right.

Sonia: It is just "brain food", as they say.

Kazuichi: You meant "food for thought", right!?

Teruteru: Well, then can't you just recall what it said?

Haishiro: It was along the lines of "I want to meet with you again, as we have before. It's about something that might concern you. Keep this private and come ASAP, as we have a limited time."

Byakuya: Interesting.

Byakuya: If the wording is correct, the killer indeed beckoned Chiaki into the building.

Byakuya: But what did they mean by "a limited time"? I don't remember us setting any schedule.

Nekomaru: Maybe it has to do with the sun? Either the presence or lacking of sunlight could have something to do with it.

Akane: Did it have to do with the murder method, like a timer?

Gundham: That wretched ursine ought to have been guarding the building. Had the slaughterer swayed it from it's duties?

Hiyoko: The murderer could just be really impatient.

Hajime: I AGREE WITH THAT!

Hajime: …

Hajime: With Gundham, I mean. I agree with Gundham.

Hajime: Monokuma is persistent, so it's strange that he didn't deter Chiaki from entering the building. 

Hajime: But I remember something from the stage play. 

Hajime: Monomi was able to poof him off where she wanted him to be, and it didn't look like he could resist.

Hajime: It'd make complete sense if Monomi had kept him from the building, and the killer didn't know how long it'd be kept up for.

Monomi: Tee-hee…!

Monomi: You've caught me pink-handed!

Monomi: Monokuma was too busy spending time with his big sister! I lectured his little ear off for about half an hour.

Monomi: … At a certain someone's request, of course!

Byakuya: You mean…

Byakuya: … You already know who the killer is?

Monomi: Mmhm! Of course I know who the killer is, silly!

Monomi: Those cameras aren't just for show, you know!

Byakuya: Then why are we having this trial?

Byakuya: Why are you wasting my precious time for something you already know!?

Kazuichi: He's right! What the Hell!?

Monomi: It's simple-dimple!

Monomi: That's how the game works!

Monomi: It'd be no fun if I just told you who did it!

Monomi: Where's the drama? The fear? The risk of your lives!?

Gundham: Were you really hoping that Monomi, of all treacherous souls, would play fair?

Gundham: Look around! Is any of this a child of justice and thoughtfulness?

Nekomaru: … Guys? 

Nekomaru: There's one thing that's bothering me.

Nekomaru: Why was Chiaki in that hole, anyway?

Nekomaru: Honestly, this whole thing looks more like an accident than a murder.

Hiyoko: Like, she just fell in there and got all banged up?

Monomi: Let me assure you! 

Monomi: If this was just a freak accident, we wouldn't be in this trial room right now!

Monomi: Didn't you see that look on her face? How she clearly regretted having her life cut short by someone else's greed?

Hiyoko: Well…

Hiyoko: Could it have been a trap by the murderer, or something?

Kazuichi: A trap?

Byakuya: That would make sense with the letter.

Byakuya: It clearly asked Chiaki to meet at the Old Building, baiting her.

Akane: But then… How did she not see it?

Akane: It wasn't very dark in there, and her sight should've been fine.

_That's right! She should've been able to see a hole like that! Unless…_

Hajime: Maybe… The hole wasn't always there?

Hajime: I know, you'd expect an Old Building to have a hole like that, pretty standard stuff.

Hajime: But if she wasn't able to see that hole to avoid it, maybe it wasn't there to begin with?

Akane: You're thinkin' the old wood rotted away and gave in under her weight?

Hajime: … Yeah, kinda. But not quite.

Hajime: You see, when I was inspecting the hole, I noticed something about the wood.

Haishiro: How half of the broken edge was splintered, but the top part seemed clean…?

Hajime: Yeah!

Hajime: I think I now know why there's a bread knife.

Kazuichi: Many breads have tough crust exteriors, and bread knives are designed to make effective straight cuts through loaves, in a sawing motion…

Kazuichi: Are you saying that the killer guy used the knife as a makeshift saw, and cut into the floor?

Hajime: They cut a circle, but only half way; so when Chiaki fully stepped into the circle, the wood planks would snap under her weight!

Nekomaru: That doesn't explain one thing.

Nekomaru: Just falling into a hole wouldn't kill her, right?

Nekomaru: Why didn't she just get out when she had the chance?

_I think I have the answer to this! Someone told me about it…_

Hajime: Narcolepsy.

Hajime: Chiaki had narcolepsy.

Sonia: I do not know what that is.

Fuyuhiko: Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder, caused by a lack of the hypocretin neurochemical, or some shit.

Fuyuhiko: Mostly characterized by drowsiness, lack of muscle tone, and sudden attacks of sleep in one's day-to-day life...

Fuyuhiko: I should've noticed before, but that definitely seems like the right diagnosis for her ass!

Fuyuhiko: And if she fell through the floor and into a comfy lying position, it makes total sense that she'd just knock the fuck out then and there.

Teruteru: And then, how did she die?

Teruteru: The joints, her chest… What killed her? 

Teruteru: What could the weapon even be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the long pause, but I'll be on a "normal" schedule again now!  
> As always, feel free to speculate or just share your thoughts, it's always so interesting to see.  
> Thank you all for your support!


	12. The Jumpstart Trial - Part 2

Akane: We know that the bread knife at the scene couldn't be the weapon…

Kazuichi: Duh! 

Kazuichi: Even if they used the spine of the blade, it's still sharp enough to break skin.

Fuyuhiko: And there were no bleeding external wounds…

Fuyuhiko: Damn it, this is a tough nut to crack.

Mikan: U-um… The wounds…

Mikan: Maybe we should look into them more…?

Gundham: Don't be foolish! We cannot return to the empty vessel.

Mikan: KYAAAAH!

Mikan: I-i-i-i'm sorry! I just thought… I'm so sorry for being so dumb! Please forgive me!!!

Gundham: …!

Gundham: It is… Of no concern to me. Do not fret.

Peko: What she's probably trying to ask is if we can get more details on the injuries.

Fuyuhiko: Hell...

Fuyuhiko: In the chest, the ribs were completely snapped inward. 

Fuyuhiko: The joint injuries did not have any broken bones, they were just dislocated.

Mahiru: About that chest injury…

Mahiru: How big was it?

Fuyuhiko: … Big?

Mahiru: You know, like, wide! Surface area…?

Fuyuhiko: About this much.

_ He traced a large circle around his chest. It reached across most of his ribcage, and seemed much wider than I anticipated. _

Fuyuhiko: Why do you ask?

Mahiru: Well, I'm just trying to think up a possible murder weapon…

Hajime: Wait a minute!

Hajime: Maybe before we try to determine a murder weapon…

Hajime: Would it help to find the cause of death first?

Mikan: I think so…

Teruteru: Why does it matter?

Teruteru: We can just look at the wounds themselves to think it up, right?

Teruteru: Why would a cause of death be necessary?

_ This'll be a bit hard to explain, but… _

Hajime: Well, think about it like this.

Hajime: If we can assume that the culprit knew what they were doing, a cause of death can give us their intentions.

Hajime: Thus, we can more easily pick out the type of weapon they would think of using.

Ibuki: Woah!

Ibuki: You're sharper than the bread knife, Hajime!

Ibuki: But let mama Ibuki take it from here!

_ Huh? I wonder what kind of ideas Ibuki could have… _

Ibuki: I think the murderer used… Drumroll, please…

Ibuki: A big ol' big thing!

Ibuki: Don't quite got the specifics down yet, but they used a heavy thingie for sure!

Ibuki: The ribs were all snapped in, right?

Ibuki: This reminds Ibuki of something she saw on T.V., once!

Ibuki: A woman got crushed under the side of a bookcase…

Ibuki: And her ribs broke, causing them to puncture her organs and drown her in her own blood!

Ibuki: Maybe the murderer didn't use a bookcase…

Ibuki: Unless they were super-duper strong!

Ibuki: But they used something dense, for sure!

Hajime: I AGREE WITH THAT!

_ Augh, Goddamnit! Looks like I won't stop doing whatever that is… _

Hajime: I think your idea of the cause of death may just be correct.

Hajime: Say, Ibuki… Did the woman in the T.V. show happen to bleed from her mouth?

Ibuki: Yuppers! Quite a lot! It was just like-

Ibuki: …

Ibuki: Ooooooh! I gotcha!

Fuyuhiko: So, one of the broken off ribs stabbed her guts?

Fuyuhiko: Must've been a lung or a stomach puncture, if bleeding ended up in her throat like that…

Fuyuhiko: Shit, dude. It checks out.

Fuyuhiko: But if that's the case, it'd have to be something really fuckin' heavy.

Fuyuhiko: Do we even have something like that readily available?

Akane: Maybe it was something from the barn?

Ibuki: The barn is as bare as a bear!

Nekomaru: The airport didn't have anything removable that'd be heavy enough…

Kazuichi: Augh! They probably took a piece of the airplanes.

Peko: If they really took from the planes, wouldn't someone notice them doing something suspicious?

Peko: And how could they get away with carrying around something like that?

Hajime: Something heavy, but unassuming and gotten by unsuspicious means…

Hajime: Like something from the supermarket?

Kazuichi: Rocket Punch?

Kazuichi: Augh! That place is endless! It could've been anything!

Hiyoko: Can't we just narrow it down?

Hiyoko: Hey, you! Raggedy bunny thing!

Monomi: What is it, your highness?

Hiyoko: You got that dumb purchase system, right?

Hiyoko: Wouldn't you have to keep records on that!?

Monomi: Are you asking for the shopping records…? 

Monomi: Well! Anything for the princess, little Miss Saionji!

Monomi: Here's one!

Monomi: Today, nobody has bought anything from the supermarket…

Monomi: Except dear ??? ???, who had bought exactly one item at 10 AM this morning!

_ Question mark, question mark, question ma- _

Hajime: … Haishiro?

_ All eyes were drawn to them, as they simply stiffened. _

Haishiro: You're all staring at me?

Haishiro: I… Guess I've been suspicious, haven't I?

Fuyuhiko: LIKE HELL, YOU HAVE!

Byakuya: Oh, dear name-not-applicable…

Byakuya: We could probably pass it off if you bought a few things… But leaving a store like that with only a single item?

Byakuya: Looking to buy one thing? Like a… Weapon, perhaps?

Haishiro: It's… It's just…

Hajime: Hey! That's a stretch!

Byakuya: And now that lost puppy is jumping to defend you!

Byakuya: Maybe that little amateur was right about you two.

Teruteru: LITTLE WHAT, NOW?

Hajime: You don't get it!

Hajime: I-... Augh! Damn it!

Byakuya: Giving up already, I see.

Peko: Hold on… Hajime?

Peko: You had been to na- Um, Haishiro's cottage, haven't you?

Peko: Wouldn't you know what they could've gotten?

Hajime: Augh, I know this! It! It was just a-!

_ I tried to think back to earlier, but my brain refused to cooperate. That was until the scent of muffins filled my nose… _

Hajime: It was… A candle.

Byakuya: A… Candle?

_ I nodded. _

Byakuya: … A candle.

Hajime: Cherry cobbler scented

Byakuya: So this lead is a bust?

Byakuya: It was all just just an effing candle?

Hajime: I don't know what else to tell you.

Kazuichi: B-BUT!

Kazuichi: COULDN'T THEY-

Fuyuhiko: No, you can't use a candle to break ribs.

Kazuichi: ...

Nekomaru: Guys?

Mahiru: What is it now?

Nekomaru: If it's the ribs that killed her, then what about the other injuries?

Nekomaru: Why would they have to do any of that?

Kazuichi: They could've just gone crazy after dealing the chest blow!

Fuyuhiko: Now that you mention it, I don't think it's the same weapon, at least.

Fuyuhiko: If was heavy enough to break the ribs, it would've shattered the joints instead of just dislocating them.

Mikan: They were joint injuries, right…?

Mikan: M-Mister Kuzuryuu? Could you tell us which joints were broken, pretty please?

Fuyuhiko: Both ankles, both knees, one elbow and some fingers.

Fuyuhiko: Why?

Mikan: Those are mostly joints used for mobility.

Mikan: I asked because…

Making: Maybe they were looking to… Incapacitate Chiaki?

Peko: They must've done it while she was asleep, so she couldn't leave the hole.

_ So the culprit used a different weapon and broke Chiaki's legs so she wouldn't escape… _

_ Who would even think to do that? _

_ It'd have to be, like, a martial artist or something… And one that already had another weapo- _

_ …! _

Hajime: Could it really be…

Hajime: … Sonia Nevermind?

_ There it was. That face. A look of shock I've never seen on a human being before. Was I right?  _

Hajime: … You used your combat knowledge to disable Chiaki.

Hajime: And your sword would be perfect for the job, especially with how well you can use it!

Sonia: Ah… Well…

Sonia: You know, I am really flattered that you think I could plan that well-

Hajime: I… Don't just think.

Hajime: I know.

Hajime: You aren't just good at Kendo, you're a master. And a master like you would use their knowledge of the art to their advantage. Wouldn't they?

Hajime: Especially in a quote-unquote "Game of life or death", as you put it yourself?

Sonia: Mr. Hinata…

_ Her words were soft and calm, making me almost doubt my reasoning, but the rest of her appeared to fall apart at the seams. _

Mahiru: HOLD ON!

Mahiru: NOBODY ELSE CAN JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS, BUT IT'S FINE IF YOU DO IT, HUH?

Mahiru: Take some responsibility! Accusing a kindly lady like her? 

Mahiru: What makes you think she could be up to something like that? 

Mahiru: I want the proof!

Byakuya: … Well, Mahiru.

Byakuya: If it's gone this far… I have all the proof you need. Right here.

_ The idol gingerly placed something on his podium, for the whole class to see. It looked like an… Alarm clock. No.. Wait! That's- _

Sonia: Where did you get that?

Byakuya: In the sand, a few spaces away from the old building.

Byakuya: Very poorly buried, might I add.

Sonia: That's the communicator that Chiaki was working on, isn't it?

Byakuya: So you know what it is, hm?

Byakuya: How unusual! If I didn't know about it, it seems that she only told a handful of people about it…

Byakuya: You know? People she would meet-up to talk about it with?

Byakuya: "As we have before."?

Sonia: I- You!

Sonia: You do not know what you are talking about!

Sonia: It is not my fault that you were unaware, is it?

Sonia: How does that make me a killer!?

Mahiru: Chiaki met to talk about it with me the other day…

Mahiru: … Because the only other person she talked to about it was "Impatient".

Sonia: …!

Mahiru: Sonia… Don't tell me it's true.

Byakuya: Sonia…

Byakuya: You really are a disappointing Ultimate.

Byakuya: To succumb to despair so easily…

Sonia: N-NONSENSE!

Sonia: NONSENSE, NONSENSE, NONSENSE!

Sonia: I AM NOT A MURDERER!

Sonia: YOU CANNOT CONVICT ME OF SOMETHING LIKE THIS!

Sonia: PROVE IT TO ME! PROVE THAT IT WAS ONLY ME WHO COULD HAVE POSSIBLY KILLED HER!

_**STICKER** _

_**FROM**_

_**THE** _

_**BEACH** _

Hajime: I GOT IT!

_ Before I even spoke another word, I pulled something out of my pocket and held it out as much as I could. As soon as she saw it, her entire expression went pale. _

Sonia: An… Ukuma Sticker?

Hajime: Half of you should know where these can be found, right?

Haishiro: Most people threw them out on the main beach…

Hajime: Since that day, the only person I saw on that beach…

Hajime: … Was Sonia.

Sonia: …

Hajime: When I was there, she had a certain duralumin case with her.

Hajime: One that she'd occasionally have to put down in the sand… Because it was getting too heavy for her to keep carrying.

Hajime: She said she was using it to collect seashells…

Hajime: … But all I saw her put in it was rocks!

Hajime: Before my eyes, she was creating a murder weapon…

Hajime: A heavy object she could drop on her victim, crushing the chest!

Hajime: And that's why I found this sticker in the first place…

Hajime: It stuck to the case at the beach, and fell off when she was using it to murder Chiaki!

Hajime: Did I get any of that wrong, Sonia?

Sonia: …! 

Sonia: FUCK!

Sonia: MOTHERFUCKER!

Sonia: SON OF A BITCH!

_ In a foreign language, presumably English, she began shouting harsh words as she hunched over, tears flowing and beginning to sob. _

Hajime: Let's take this from the top, to make sure we've made no mistakes.

Hajime: The blackened had a plan, ever since they heard about the Killing School Trip commencing.

Hajime: They bought a duralumin case from Rocket Punch and filled it with rocks, prepping it for the big day.

Hajime: They began to talk to someone vulnerable, like a certain narcoleptic by the name of Chiaki Nanami.

Hajime: They privately began building a bond with her, earning her trust enough to get them alone together.

Hajime: One morning, they asked for Monomi's assistance, having her distract Monokuma so that they could use the Old Building.

Hajime: They slipped Chiaki and Mahiru notes, beckoning the mechanic to the old building in a few hours, and scaring the yakuza into staying in her cottage.

Hajime: During the meeting at the restaurant, while everyone was preoccupied with Mahiru's absence, they slipped into the kitchen to retrieve a bread knife.

Hajime: Once the meeting disbanded, they footed it to the old building, and cut a hole into the old wood planks.

Hajime: They waited outside as Chiaki came in. She ended up falling into the hole and being overcome by an attack of sleep.

Hajime: While she was asleep, the Blackened used their sword to dislocate her joints, rendering her unable to escape.

Hajime: And finally, as the finishing touch, they grabbed the heavy duralumin case, and dropped it onto her chest, crushing her ribs and killing her.

Hajime: There's only one person with the means and expertise to pull off a stunt like that… Isn't that right, Sonia Nevermind?

_ The Swordswoman was unable to respond, completely overcome by tears and sweat. That grace and charm that she once had… Was washed out, and replaced by pure desperation. _

Monomi: Now, then! 

Monomi: It seems like you all have your eyes on a certain suspect!

Monomi: It's time to vote!

_ My eyes traced over the buttons of my classmates. I reached for Sonia's option… But the sounds of a young girl completely breaking down made it hard to move. Shutting my eyes, I forced myself to press it. The sounding click made my whole body shiver. _

Monomi: And now, for the results…!

Monomi … Wow! It seems like everyone's agreed!

Monomi: We've got a 100% vote for Sonia nevermind! And now, let's see if you got it right!

_In the large monitor hovering above us. It showed what looked like a slot machine. In the three slots were the pixel sprite faces of some of my classmates. It spun and spun… Finally landing a row of three certain blondes. The monitor rained confetti as the word "WINNER!" flashed._

Monomi: Congraaaaaaatulations!

\-------

The class, to put it simply, was furious. In any other context, it'd be terrible to see 13 people screaming at a crying girl. She simply choked as the others smothered her in aggression. It took long for her to regain her composure and finally respond.

"I… I did not want to do it." She sniffled. "When she told me about her communicator, I had grown impatient with the fact that she did not want to use it yet. I set the trap to incapacitate her, yes, but was just to get a hold of the device. When I found out it was truly unfinished, I simply fled with my shame."

"Don't lie!" Hiyoko spoke. "You set out to kill her! Why else would you set up a whole case of rocks to crush her with!?"

The Swordswoman's tears returned, and her voice weakened once she spoke. "... I do not want to admit what I had done. So desperate to escape, so blinded by my own selfishness… I was able to kill someone to save myself. Chiaki was such a sweet girl, and this is what I did to repay her kindness..." Her expression became completely unreadable, unlike what I've ever seen before when she said "I really am a disgrace to Novoselic, am I not?"

"Well, that's one way to admit why you really moved to Japan!" Monomi squished her cheeks.

"In that stage play, the student… Was just like me. When it talked about how she dishonored her family, and was cast off to live as far away as they could afford… When it talked about how she chased success to win back the approval of her folks… When it talked about how she was able to atone and reunited with her home after just three years… It instilled something in me. Was it hope? … Or was it just delusion?"

"I prepared a very special punishment for the Ultimate Swordswoman, Miss Nevermind! Let's do our very best!"

The rabbit flipped in the air as she brought her gavel down on a big pink button. The monitor flashed up with a mocking display.

**'SONIA HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY, TIME FOR PUNISHMENT!'**

Sonia eyed the class nervously as they gathered around her, closing in. She tried to run, but we already became an impenetrable wall around her. What sounded like… Music, began to echo from the ceiling speakers.

"Reach for the stars, reach so hiiiiiigh!"

She stumbled around aimlessly, until something shot in from the wall, just over Hiyoko's head and latching around the swordswoman's neck with a metallic clank. Her hands clawed at the tight collar around her neck as she coughed.

"Reach for the stars, reach so hiiiiiigh…"

It, the chain mechanism, began to pull her. Three students made way as it dragged her, her shoes skidding and her neck reddening. A large door slid shut behind her as she disappeared into a dark hallway. 

The monitor came to life. Being stretched across the views of every student, it was impossible to ignore. The chain had pulled her to a thick pole, as ropes wrapped around to confine her to it. Monomi waddled up to Sonia, holding up a crudely-made wooden sword, and looked up at her expectantly.

**DUMMY PRACTICE**

**The Ultimate Swordswoman's Execution: Executed**

Monomi swung left and right, leaving nothing but minor holes in her tights. But as she kept going, she got faster, and the blonde began letting out small squeals of pain. The rabbit was deliberately tearing holes in the fabrics to get to her skin. It was just the legs, but it got concerning as the pole sunk into the ground and brought Sonia lower, allowing the tiny bunny to reach her chest. After some more slashing, a large hole was torn into the upper chest of her shirt. Monomi swung the sword behind her, flinging off the wood covering and revealing an intricate, European-style blade. And finally, dead center in the middle of the exposed skin…

She stabbed her.

The sword sunk harshly and effortlessly into her chest. I could hear the faint sounds of bones cracking, the clacking of the blade's point hitting the pole on the other side. Slowly, the pink began to ooze from the sides of the steel, and all Sonia could do was writhe in pain. 

The music muted, leaving only an eerie drone as her head fell, and the twitching stopped.

That's when it happened. 

That's when… I threw up.

My legs giving out beneath me, I vomited long and hard onto the checkered floors.

My head was spinning.

My throat was burning.

My entire world was melting around me.

\------

**14 students remaining.**


	13. Chapter 2: The Final Performance - 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go back to... Normal?

The floor was cold, soothing to my throbbing head. As I laid pitifully on my side, by the mess I created, footsteps began to flock around me.

"He finally did it! Kyahahaha!" Hiyoko cackled. "He's always stumbling around like a weak-stomached coward, it was only a matter of time that he keeled over!"

"That's enough, Hiyoko." Peko stated firmly.

"You can't tell me what to do! Besides, try and tell me that I'm wrong! You can't!"

"Hajime?" Haishiro called. "... We need to bring him to his cabin, fast."

It's over. We won. I should've been so happy that we narrowly avoided our own deaths with detective work none of us were qualified for… But my mind was racing, haunted by the most recent memories. Seeing not one, but two bodies. Dead. Who I once knew, alive and well, devoid of life, devoid of anything. And bearing witness to the exact moment that Sonia stopped moving, that the life left her body…

My chest hurt from thinking about it, in more ways than one. I couldn't even process a proper response, settling for a "Mhm, yeah." to prove that I was still there. I held my knees to my chest, needing any sort of pressure to make me feel secured to this body. A body that was shaking wildly, beyond my control. It felt like all of my nerves were going off at once. My throat still hurt.

"Ah… Ok! I should be able to…" I felt arms snake under my torso and the crook of my knees, easily but carefully pulling me off the ground. It was just Mikan. Though her muscles weren't straining, she was still quiveringly nervous over the task as she held me level to her chest, bridal carry. 

"Unfair! Why does he get to be carried by a cute girl???" I didn't have the energy left in me to recognize voices anymore, I just stared up at Mikan and the ceiling.

The rest of that day was all a messy blob of a memory. The ceiling turned into the darkened island sky, I got a slight shock from Mikan nearly tripping over, some sort of cloth being used to wipe my mouth, those few awkward moments where she'd have to readjust her arms under me, and finally, a conversation I was barely able to pay attention to.

"... What happens now?"

"Things are going to change around here."

"Do we still have to meet in the morning?"

"More than ever."

"Ah, that's disappointing."

It was like I puked out all of my energy. I wasn't even phased anymore. I was just… Completely worn out. My muscles were sore, and my head was foggy. Every time I closed my eyes, I ran the risk of falling right to sleep. My vision was overtaken by the dark of a room as I was dropped from the gymnast's arms, into something soft and familiar. My bed. Looking back, I'm pretty sure it was Fuyuhiko who sat on the edge of the mattress, and draped his hand over my head to check the temperature. Meanwhile, still in my daze, I lost against temptation and drifted off to sleep.

It's rare that I'd get dreamless sleep, but that night went by instantly. It was like my body was impatient to get up and endure the numbing agony. I was alone in my room, dimly lit with sunlight. Too young to quite know, but I felt I had something comparable to a hangover. A splitting migraine I nursed in my hands as I sat up, still sick to my stomach. There's… Another meeting today, isn't there?

But why should I go?

To become a target? To be another body to toss aside?

… Huh!?

Since when have I ever been so paranoid!?

I… Needed to get up. I rolled out of bed and glanced in the mirror. Yeah, good enough. I just needed to go get an iced drink and sit through whatever meeting we had today. I lazily crossed my arms and hunched over, footing it to the restaurant. The jingling of the bell on the door was dearly missed. Free from the stuffy old building, and the generally oppressive atmosphere of the investigation period. But the apprehension in the air was not yet lost. Nearly every table carried conversation, filled with keywords from the... Incident. The two names that make me almost want to puke all over again, and general confusion about the implications of it all. Sonia, so mild-mannered and unassuming… So diligently ready to kill someone. So willing to pop someone's lungs to save herself. Both of their lives were cut short, but Chiaki was the only one I could mourn. Sonia wasn't a normal person.

She was a murderer.

Someone with blood on their hands, someone you should never have to meet. She didn't deserve sympathy.

Did she really deserve what happened to her?

Despite how much I was sure I resented her, that last part was always a question in my mind…

And was she the only one?

Ok, ok. I'm spacing out again. I may have stained my reputation yesterday, but I don't need to embarrass myself any further.

Every table was either full, or hosted someone I didn't quite want to be near. The only spot open was in the lonely corner booth, across from the Ultimate ???. Why is it that I always end up with them? It probably didn't matter. I needed to sit down. 

It wasn't exactly hidden how shaken up they were by our current situation. Hair frayed, face pale, eyes darting around before they settled to stare at their breakfast. On their plate was…

"... What is that?"

Burger, ham, sandwich meat, turkey leg, pineapple, peas(?), bacon bits, gravy, drizzled in various sauces and squished between two sesame seed buns. "I don't know."

They brought the… Sandwich? Up to their face, and tried their damnedest to get their mouth around it. Given how feverishly they chowed down, it must've been some sort of stress-eating. 

All attention was broken off, redirected to the door harshly swinging open. Enter Mahiru. I honestly forgot half of what we actually did in meetings, so I was somewhat surprised that we were waiting for her. She looked drained, but in a way different from everyone else. Her dark circles were nearly black, her blinks lingered, her skin looked ready to slip off of her face. It was like she hadn't slept in weeks. She pulled her hand off the door, and corrected her assertive posture. "Everyone, attention." Trudging up to a random chair, she pulled. She dragged it slowly enough for the squeaky scraping noise to hurt. Finally, it was brought to the middle of the dining room, and she sat. "I see I was off with my assessments."

A few voices complained in agreement, much to her flinching dismay.

"I was unwilling to believe that anyone here would ever have to resort to murder, seeing how spoiled and cowardly you all seemed. Let alone, a girl finishing off another girl." She paused to adjust her tie. "I see now that tensions are higher among you than I expected. One rotten egg spoils the bunch, as they say. This brings me to-"

"... MY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!" Our captor fell bouncily from the ceiling to join us. "AHUEHUEHUEHUEHUE!"

"What is this!? What business do you have here right now!? Scram!" Mahiru fumed at the rabbit.

"... Eh? But I thought you liked girls, Miss Koizumi!" Monomi swayed.

"You don't deserve respect. You're as much of a girl as any toaster, you Furby."

"... Are you just not into mechanophilia? Or bestiality?"

That earned a look of complete bewilderment. "H-heavens no! What are you even talking about!?"

The principal waved her off with a hand. "As I was saying… Hello, class! I have something for you all!"

"Is it weapons?"

"Body bags?"

"Poison?

"A mop?"

"Oh, no-no-no! I'm not that predictable! I just have something that you all may be interested in." She shuffled her paws behind her back before pulling out what looked like envelopes. "Some of your memories!"

The… What?

Really!?

She tossed them onto the floor, creating a messy pile. "Come find yours! Make sure it has your name!"

We immediately bunched together before the mess, tearing it apart to find our own. It had to be narrowed down to two before I could find mine. 'Hinata' was written on the fancy card paper, very reminiscent of… No, I shouldn't think about that.

As we all stood with our envelopes clutched, she continued her explanation. "In each of these envelopes is a small glimpse into your school lives! A lot can happen in just three years, so a major event is written inside! The only thing is, once you read what's inside… You may think much less of one of your other classmates." She chuckled into her hands.

Everyone simply itched at the fold of their envelopes. "STOP!" The Ultimate Yakuza had to call out.

"See? I can be a good girl if I want to! Hate, hate~!" And then, she simply poofed off.

"Jeeze." Mahiru looked to her envelope. She stared it down with her dull eyes for a solid minute, before she turned to us and stated "Under any circumstances, nobody will even open their memory card. Capiche?"

"Eh? But why!? Ibuki wants to see what happened!" The Ultimate Breeder bounced.

"Didn't you hear what she said? If we find a new reason to start hating each-other, it'll run my plans into the ground."

"Plans?" I asked.

"From this point forward, I don't want to see a single slacker, got it? Because we're going to find a way out of here. And if I can get you all to stick to each-other's sides, I can properly keep an eye on everyone."

"How will you do that?" Nekomaru questioned.

She placed her envelope down on her thigh, pulling a piece of paper from her back pocket and unfolding. "We're going to be investigating the island one area at a time, in groups of two covering each. I spent the entirety of last night figuring out the most effective schedule and team combinations. Get in your assigned teams as I announce them."

Akane was with Ibuki, Kazuichi was with Gundham, Fuyuhiko was with Byakuya…

"Hajime." My head perked when she finally called my name. "I must admit. In the trial, you really did prove yourself to be slightly more useful than you lead on. As such, you've been promoted from 'Unreliable Hajime', to 'Somewhat Decent Hajime'."

"Gee, thanks."

"If you want to keep that label, you're gonna have to work for it. As such, I'm assigning you to look after someone… Less than decent."

I joined the rest of the groups with Teruteru in tow. 

"Y'know, it's a common fantasy to be assigned a pretty partner. And I can see why…" His nosebleed bothered me much more than it used to. 

"And then… Uuuggghhh." She cut herself off with a long groan as she saw the second to last pairing. "You." She called sharply, pointing to the Ultimate ???.

They looked around and pointed to themself. "... Me?"

"Yes, you. I'm having trouble assigning you a team because… What are you?"

"I'm sorry, what do you mean? I really hope I'm not getting in the way."

"As a matter of fact, you are. I can't assign these next teams because someone conveniently forgot their own gender." She folded the paper in her hands.

"I wish I could just remember, I'm sure I'm one or the other…"

"Can't you just check?"

"... Check!? What in the world do you mean by- Ok, ok." With a breath, they rose from their seat. "Let's see… Since it'll make it even… I'm fine with being a man, if it really makes you feel better."

"A man, eh? Well then, you better pick up from here! I expect a lot more from you!"

"I'll try not to let you down." They- He joined the rest of us in the center of the room.

Haishiro was with Nekomaru, and Mahiru was with Hiyoko.

"Finally! It's about that I had a personal servant again!" The Ultimate Princess chuckled into her gloves.

"Servant!? We're all putting in the work here, whether you like it or not!"

"Wow! You sure talk big shit for someone who dresses like a barf bag!"

"Your schoolyard insults are not going to work on a Koizumi. This isn't your home country, is it? You hold no real power here, and certainly not enough to get away with your bratty laziness."

That last comment managed to shut the royal up. She pouted, but ultimately became contemplative over the words.

We finally were told our areas for that day, and broke off. I didn't catch the rest of them, but Teruteru and I were assigned to check Jabberwock Park. More like the whole first island in general, but still. I decided to try and strike up conversation as we walked.

"So… The weather is nice here, huh?"

"I'd have to agree! Just about hot enough to make you show some skin… Or force you into a skimpy swimsuit…" He said with a sly chuckle.

"Can't you talk about anything without making it sexual?"

"Why, of course. But where's the fun in that?"

"Well… Hey. Those envelopes, right?"

"What about them?"

"I know we're probably better off ignoring them, but… I can't help but wonder what mine has to say."

"Probably nothing worth opening it over!"

"Yeah, but if it's really been three whole years, don't you want to know what happened too?"

The rockstar brought out his comb to groom his hair with an odd expression. "... There are a few things I wonder about."

We eventually made it over the bridge and were beginning to walk down the first island, when…

"But y'know, why worry about any of that when there's an island full of- WWWWWWAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Before we knew it, we stood face-to-face with a mechanical horse beast, eyes glowing and breathing exhaust onto us.

"I-I-I THOUGHT THOSE GONE!" The short student leapt into my arms, much to my wimpy dismay.

The beast whirred aggressively at our closeness, until a high-pitched "Hey!" Redirected it's attention.

In a power stance, Monokuma stood off to the right, staring down the giant robot.

"What are you doing here!?" In my surprise, I accidentally dropped the Ultimate Musician, to which he hit the ground with a resounding 'Oof!'. 

"These big metal jerks were put here by Monomi to block off the other islands! But I won't let them get in the way, if I can help it!"

Paws raised, he charged. He sprinted up to the horse… Only to get whacked away by a hoof at the last moment. After he was done rolling down the dirt, he shook his head and got up to try again, to the same result. Rinse and repeat. As he went, he got more and more beat up, it kinda looked like he was starting to leak… No, that can't be it.

What was important was that my partner was now distracted by the repetitive efforts, which allowed me privacy as I slipped away into some brush. I know I was told not to do this and all, but… How bad can it be? Nobody has to know that I did it, and I it's not like a few words could sway me to murder. I just need to know. More than anything, I just need to know what happened at Hope's Peak. I wanted to regain as much memory as I could of my time there, and the only thing coming between me and that was a paper envelope. I carefully undid the glue, and when I opened it-

…

I blinked a few times, to make sure I was reading it right.

'Oopsie-daisy! You messed up big time, and became a main enemy of the Koizumi clan!'


	14. Chapter 2: The Final Performance - 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime gets roped into some plans.

The world was grey. A nice, cool grey. Simply crisp. Fog rolled in just a few feet away, and the thick raindrops hit the concrete, making it slick and reflective, bouncing back the shining street lights. I hadn't been carrying this for long, no more than two minutes, and my shoulders already began to hurt. 

Alright, let's do this.

Puddles splashed as I hit each one with my rapid footsteps. I skipped into the dark abyss of the alleyway, exerting a surprising amount of muscle power to flip the lid off. And, with a mighty swing… I successfully took out the trash. Only a week in on my trip, and I built up enough trash in my hotel room to feed an army. My only defense is that United States snacks are just that tasty. Carefully flipping the lid back, I was supposed to head straight back to base when I was stopped. Stopped by what, you may ask? I wasn't sure. I just… Stopped. I stood, feeling my clothes get heavier as they absorbed the rainwater. It was careless to keep standing there, but there was... something about it. Rain. The refreshing chill it gives you, making it feel like your soul is being cleansed. The way it fell and caught the light, making it look like crystals falling from the sky. It was magical, almost. Growing up in a relatively dry area, rain is pretty much new for me. The feeling of wet cotton was getting irritating, but I was going to change out of the clothes, anyway. I just let it get wetter. Looking up into the seeming endlessness of the grey sky, I raised my arms and felt the cold raindrops sprinkle them. I wanted to stay like this, just a little while longer.

I wish I was patient enough to stay right there.

\------

Heavy layering of blankets made it hard to sit up, I pulled them off my face so I could breathe again.

I was still here, in this stuffy cabin. On an island of pure terror.

Even in my dreams, I abuse the fantasies of being anywhere else, anywhere but here. Even my worst overseas trip was romantic compared to this.

I had no clue what time it was. I knew it must've been past my normal schedule, because I was up all night. Tossing and turning, I couldn't stop reading that note over and over in my head. Honestly, I wasn't sure what kind of memory I expected. A school dance? A seasonal festival? A girlfriend? Why did I think that Monomi would give me anything less than a tragedy? But… What? Maybe I'm no genius, but to get in hot water with a mafia… By accident? How stupid does someone have to be to manage that? Let alone, me? What did I do? Will I ever know? Will I ever remember anything? And…

What if Mahiru finds out?

Would she forgive me from not remembering what I did, or would she kill me on the spot?

Kill.

That is not an appropriate phrase to use for this.

She wouldn't literally kill me. Right? But, she is a criminal… And I assumed the same about-

She doesn't have to know. She doesn't even have to know that I opened the envelope. I'd rather live.

As I was finally easing all those questions out of my head…

DING-DONG, BING-BONG!

Is that the morning announcement? No, wait, the monitor didn't turn on… I blinked in the general direction of my door, as it's bell rang again. I trudged over and swung it open.

"Hajime! So you were just sleeping in… That's a relief." The Ultimate ??? said with a sigh. He clutched a small black box in his hands with apprehension.

"Sleeping in? Did I miss something?"

"You were absent for the entire meeting this morning. Everyone was assuming the worst, so I took initiative to check on you."

"Are you sure Mahiru didn't tell you to?"

His gaze averted mine. "... I just wouldn't want you to skip breakfast, is all. I don't think you even ate yesterday." He held the box up closer to me so I could take it. Inside was a BLT sandwich of sorts, still warm. "By the way, you should be investigating at the airport right now."

I stuffed a few bites in, and said with a full mouth "Well, thanks.”

“W-w… Ah…” The mystery stood for a moment, tugging anxiously at his sleeves until… “I’LL SEE YOU LATER!” he turned and blurted, beginning to stomp off in a hurry. Was it something I said…?

But more importantly… I needed to go find Teruteru! I was getting used to the path between islands, so it didn't feel like long before I walked through those automatic doors, tossing the box into the garbage can at their side.

"Hajime!" The brunette cried out. Getting up from the center of various suitcases, he waddled over. "Where've you been all day?!"

"I just slept in. Why are you so concerned-"

The wispy weakness of his voice, the way his grip made dents in his energy drink can… I put the pieces together.

"You must be tired of covering for me."

"No, that's not it. In fact, I aim to break that 'musical artists are lazy' stereotype." His teeth gritting in a wide grimace, he poured the carbonated caffeine through them, like water into a sewage drain. "I've just been thinking."

"About what?"

"Stuff, and things."

"Are you su-"

"And by stuff and things, I mean cute girls of course!" He rushed his breath. Normally, his quips naturally rolled off his tongue, but this sounded clunky, almost forced. Regardless, I spared him an annoyed sigh and crouched down to where he was sitting.

There were about 12 standard vacation suitcases across the floor, half were zipped open and had their typical contents spilled out (I think I saw a whole pineapple in there somewhere?). He must've been inspecting the suitcases for clues, I assumed, so I sat down and got to work on the nearest one. Zipping it open revealed the type of things you'd normally expect. Towels, sunglasses, sunscreen, toiletries, sandals… Just a whole lot of nothing. I even checked the more obscure pockets to only find some loose yen coins, nada. The Musician came down to join me. I was just grabbing my third suitcase when I paused, taking a look at my partner. He handled every item uncovered with meticulousness, calculated. Cold. Couldn't help but notice how he shoved his arms into the suitcases with mindless force. It was… Violent. It was a simple question I asked myself, asking if the Ultimate Rockstar could possibly be up to something, planning. It was just the two of us in this spacious airport. It would be so easy to just... 

Grab me.

Stab my eyes out with a stray screwdriver.

Shove towels down my throat until my jaw breaks.

Or just strangle me until the oxygen runs out.

And when he minded me, those eyes. He stared at me with these small orbs of bleak black. Overshadowed by thick eyelashes, but I could still see how dull they were. How dull, dry, and without a shimmer of hope left. It reminded me of the trial, when Sonia screamed lie after lie, desperate to get away with her heartless deed, I could only focus on those lifeless eyes of hers. 

He had her eyes.

A killer's eyes.

Was I sitting next to someone who was ready to squeeze my last breath out of me?

"Hajime?" He tilted his head slightly. "What's with that face?"

Well, I'd have to let him know that my guard was up.

"Do you think… She was the only one?"

Cold sweat struck his face immediately. "Why… What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean, Teruteru. Doesn't this just mean that anybody could wake up one day and decide to chop heads off?"

"... Hajime. I understand what you must be thinking." He ran fingers through his hair as he thought out his response. "But I can't really think of it that way. The way I see it, Sonia isn't the rule… She was the exception."

"Exception?"

"Sonia wasn't a normal person, like you or me or anyone else on this island. She was a killer. A cruel, selfish killer. Only a killer would think up a plan that early, that elaborate, and run through with it until the end. It's disgusting that someone like that was among us… And a total turnoff! I don't want to believe that anyone else here is like that." He blinked a few times. He's right, I'm a normal person. I wouldn't even think of doing something like that! I shoved the memories of intrusive thoughts to the back of my psyche. "All we can do is just be glad that she was weeded off so early, even if it was at an innocent girl's sacrifice. Nothing can make this killing game go through, now."

Staring intently once again, my nerves were melting into ease. I started to see… Sparkles. Life, in his eyes.

"If everyone is as tense as you are about this, how can we get anything done!?" Teruteru stood up. "Those sad looks on your faces are completely unattractive! We need something to boost morale!" He slumped over in thought. "Maybe something like a get-together, some sort of party to unite us… Maybe I can even play a song or two, like…" You could practically see the lightbulb pop over his head. "... Like a concert!"

"A concert? Really?"

"Just like we used to back in- Back in the big city!"

"But wouldn't you need equipment for that? Or a stage?"

"I've got everything I need in my cottage, I'd just need to get a few extension cords from the supermarket… As for the stage-" He looked around the building for a second. "Well, right here! It's no concert hall, but Hell if it isn't big enough for what we've got planned!" 

"I don't see it." I answered honestly.

"Don't be like that! We can use the back half of this room as the stage, and the other for whatever else. That security office down the hall can be like our backstage. All we need is some stagehands to-... Ooo! I'm excited just thinking about it!"

"Well, since I doubt you'd get much other volunteers, I can help."

"Fair enough. Welcome aboard, Hajime! Let's see." He tapped his chin as he considered the options. "I need to ask Mahiru if I can host this concert, and to spread the word… What could you do, aside from stand around and look pretty? Well, ah! I know!" His hands grasped my shirt and pulled me down some. "I think we could have a feast while everyone jams out! Could you ask Kazuichi if he'd be willing to lend a frying pan to the occasion?"

"Why do you need the Ultimate Cook?"

"Because! It's going to be one big party, right? We need a feast!"

"Well, why can't you just ask him yourself?"

"I would, but… That boy he's with. Gundham, was it? I've never been into goths, and he might've turned me off completely!"

"He's weird, but he can't be that bad." Despite my words he begged with his eyes. "I can still do it, it's fine."

"Thank you! We should head out while the day's still young. Well…" he motioned to the bunch of unchecked suitcases. "After we finish up, of course."

The next half hour ticked by slowly. Digging out useless junk after useless junk was a taxing job. Only one thing even got my full attention. Out of the front flap I pulled a small black device. Was it a radio? Something that could… Help us contact outside of the island? I got my hopes up, and much too soon. While trying to find a way to turn it on, I found its double and filled in the blanks. Walkie-talkies. Only being able to beam to each other, they were completely useless to our escape, yet I had a hunch that they'd come in handy somewhere else… So I stashed them away on my person. After we finally dug into that last pocket, we got up and examined the complete mess we made. To record our useless findings, just in case, I snapped an above shot of the strewn about items. Teruteru blinked profusely after the flash.

"I'm so excited, Hajime! I'll get dazzle you all with my music skills!"

Soon after, we parted our ways. While he went to find our leader, I had to find out where Group B was that day. I checked the hotel lobby first, only to find Group C.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF ME!" The nurse swatted his partner away.

"You think I'd touch someone as low as you? Willingly?" The idol questioned with a scoff.

"Shut the Hell up! Please! Why did I have to get assigned to an asshole like you?"

"I could say the same! Having to follow around a pathetic child with the temper of a firecracker..."

"Don't. Call. Me. A. Kid."

"I'm just being honest, things make more sense if you're below the age of 12."

"DON'T CALL ME A FUCKING KID!"

"Stop throwing tantrums, and maybe I'd consider it."

Seemed they were doing as well as one would expect. Needless to say, I let them be and moved on to the Supermarket.

My footsteps echoed as they made their way across the floor. That was the only sound I heard. I stopped in my tracks, and stood, listening. I was hoping to catch a hint of who was there.

But there was silence. 

I held my breath, and yet, I could only hear my pulsing heart. 

A heart beating faster with worry.

Was I alone? Why was I alone? Why was nobody there? What's going on?

What's going on?

I thought I heard something, but it was just my own breath pumping out of my lungs. And I began to look around. A normal supermarket. Brightly, happily lit. Broad daylight spilling from the windows. Why… Was I so worried, again? I was just alone, that's a-

My shoulder.

The nerves on my shoulder prickled as fingers snagged onto it.

I nearly screamed, settling for a yelp as I tired to turn, but an arm anchored me in place. I couldn't move. I couldn't move. I coULDN'T MOVE. I COULDN'T MOVE.

I swung my arm as hard as I could behind me, my hand hitting flesh with a loud slap. 

"YOU FIEND-!" A voice groaned.

While trying to catch my breath, my blurry eyes focused on the other student. Flashes of black and white turned into Gundham Tanaka, nursing a reddened cheek.

"Crap! Sorry about that!"

"Such a weak will, ready to fight when targets are unseen." The Ultimate Lucky Student grumbled. "Lest they are wishing to wound their own defence."

"What do you mean by that? I thought you were supposed to be some sort of tough supervillain type, why are you concerned about respecting others?"

"'Supervillian'?" He swiped off his patchwork scarf to a side. "Though I may be your antagonist, that is not a title I'd proudly work for."

"What are you, then?"

"... What am I?" The luckster held up a hand, and clenched it in a dramatic fist. "Merely a lone vagabond, walking across each star, passing through universes near and afar. I am no god, but by the dark arts did Gundham Tanaka threaten their power with his own. To banish me into the very reaches of existence? Hah! I can only laugh at their cowardice!"

"... So, you're really convinced about all of that?"

"Convinced of reality, yes." He cleared his throat into his fist. "I stand before you now, only in a portion of my glory. I am to stay in this mortal shell, it's for the better."

"Gotcha." I nodded, pretending to fully understand what he was saying. 

"Gundham? Who are you scaring off now?" From the snack isle, Kazuichi finally entered, taking occasional swigs from his oversized cola bottle. "... Oh! Hey, Hajime! Don't mind my partner, here. He's just really caught up in the idea that he's some magician."

"Magician? Magician!? To compare me to your mortal mimicry of the dark arts! This is power I've used to undermine entire dimensions! To aid my rebellion against the gods! To-"

"Yeah, whatever man. Unless you can actually prove that you're some wizard, you should probably leave it be. You don't wanna embarrass yourself." The cook belched.

"... Fine then." He cracked knuckles. "It is irresponsible of me to use my power for such pettiness, but if I must prove it to you…" his hand disappeared into his pants pocket, shuffling around until he pulled out something shimmery. Three of what looked like arcade tokens wedged between his fingers. "Luck and complete misfortune… If my cycle is correct, I will be fortunate enough to land tails in all three of these coins."

"That'd be real tough to get! Good luck with that."

"Oh, alchemist. I already have all the luck I could possibly require."

His fingers flicked up in a neat order as the tokens flew up. They caught the light of the ceiling as they reached an impressive. Anticipation slowing everything down, I watched the coins sink, stepping back to allow space. They hit the floor with the daintiest clinks. And when I set my sight back on them…

None of them where tails.

Or heads.

Beyond all reason, they landed upright on their thin edges. Standing sturdily, with unwavering balance.

"W-WHAT THE HECK!? HOW DID YOU DO THAT!?" The Ultimate Cook took the Ultimate Lucky Student by his shoulder and shook him.

"Calm yourself, human." Gundham barked, annoyed by the touch as he wiggled away. "I merely put my ability on display. Will you continue to doubt the truth now?"

"I-... I guess I can't really… But…" Kazuichi stood stiff and dumbfounded.

I couldn't even say anything myself. I was just… Shocked. I couldn't possibly think of a logical explanation, as much as I wanted to doubt the absurdity. Was this what it truly meant to be the Ultimate Lucky Student? Was the raffle held to uncover power like his? I stared at the three coins, still standing, and my hands began to move.

I took a picture.

One of the few times I wished I was a cinematographer instead of a photographer, to be able to catch that moment of pure… Luck.

"Hey, Kazuichi?"

He still looked frankly intimidated, but he spoke more clearly. "Yeah, man?"

"I came to ask. Teruteru wants to hold a concert, and is wondering if you can provide a feast."

"A… Feast? By myself?" He tugged painfully at his brunette hair. "I dunno. I'm gonna have to really think about that..."

"Well, let us know. I think we'll start preparations in a few days."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I finally revealed the concert plot, I have a sin to confess.
> 
> The first killing game chapter was the only one I didn't plan beforehand.
> 
> I originally was going to have this chapter's plot in the previous one (with Chiaki and Sonia still as the victim/blackened), but I had the last minute decision to push it into the second chapter, since I thought it'd be too early for certain plot points. Hopefully things will be alot more cohesive going forward.


	15. Chapter 2: The Final Performance - 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hajime plays a video game with Nekomaru.

'Oopsie-Daisy!'

The childish, patronizing phrase that started the letter. I could hear it in my head, echoing in that damned rabbit's voice. It was just… Mocking.

"Oopsie-daisy! Oooooopsie-daisy!" I recited into the lonely dark of my cabin. If it wasn't soundproof, I'd look like a total idiot. Well, I did, just only to myself. I wanted so bad just to forget about it, a stupid piece of paper that meant nothing, yet the words had imprinted themselves into my mind. 

'Oopsie-daisy! You messed up big time, and became a main enemy of the Koizumi clan!'

There's nothing to be done about it, and the Ultimate Yakuza will never know... But it haunted me. What did I do? What if I...

No, no. It's getting to me. This is exactly what Monomi would want. I would never-

I got up to turn my lights on, grab the letter and dive back into bed. Rolling over to hold it up to the light, my eyes traced over the print. Contrary to my brief suspicion, the words didn't change. It was all there in its vague, mocking glory. I stared at it, as if I was expecting something else to just appear…

…

…?

Was that a… Barcode?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this wasn't any store-bought good. Up to the light, I definitely saw the silhouette of a barcode just under the surface. 

Why?

If only I had a scanner, or some sort of device that would do the trick. My luggage was gone, so I didn't have a smartphone or a laptop or anythi-

My hand bumped into the eHandbook.

It was very limited, being exactly what it says on the tin. Just an electric handbook. Unfortunately for the handbook, I was feeling desperate. I turned it on, seeing the lit screen for the first time in days. A number notifier showed me the embarrassing amount of student profiles I missed. I would've gone to check if I wasn't weary of… Seeing those faces again. Looking past, I saw the rules, settings… An ePet? Like those little keychain things? That was definitely new. There was even a number notifier of its own, but I was too busy to check it, seeing the icon right next to it.

'Motive Help', paired with an icon of Monomi's left eye.

I tapped it.

It came up with two options: 'Motive History', and 'Active Motive'. I checked the history one first. It just summarized the stage play, for some reason, and listed Chiaki and Sonia. Backing out, I selected the active option.

'Memory cards!

Each student has been given a letter detailing a certain event from their school life, the impact of said event may vary.

Victim(s): Undiscovered

Blackened: Undiscovered'

And below that description, there it was. 'Scan'. Upon selecting it, it asked to bring the memory card up to the sensor. Trying my hardest to get the hidden barcode to line up, it eventually jingled in confirmation. The loading screen was followed by a logo for 'Monomi Games'. There was a disclaimer screen, but it went by too quickly for my eyes to read it.

I was getting tired of the menus, but this was nothing to scoff at.

'Twilight Syndrome Incident', written in a bold font, with an unsettling culmination of sound screeching out of the speakers. Below were the options for settings and start; all superimposed over a low-resolution picture of a tall school building, dark in lighting to make the words contrast sharply.

Was this… A video game?

I go through and scan a hidden barcode on my memory card, only to be met with a video game. Why a video game? Why, just why did it have to be the one thing I'm terrible at!? I'm still reeling over those memories of my old school friends laughing in my face, because I got last place in some go-kart racing game. 'It's all in good fun!' Oh, suuure. Just like every other game we play where I can't get over a score of 60. With my building resentment of the game on my screen, despite not even starting it, I became sure that this was intentionally done to spite me. However, curiosity overrode my incompetence, and I had one way to get whatever explanation this program might have held…

The tropical wind shivered down my exposed arms as I walked outside, the eHandbook in sleep mode and resting in my elbow. Being the dead of night, I knocked carefully, praying that he'd be able to respond. Obviously, there was someone who could help as he opened the door: Nekomaru Nidai.

"Is something wrong, Hajime?" The tall boy didn't seem too disturbed (well, more than usual, anyways), which I was deeply thankful for. "You should be catching some shut-eye."

"I would, but… This is important!" I replied.

"If it's important at 2 AM, it must be pretty bad."

I held the eHandbook up and turned it on for him to see. He bent over with his hands on his hips, squinting at it, murmuring the title to himself. "It's… A game, huh?"

"It's not just a game, I think it has to do with the killing game!" I technically wasn't lying, the words came out surely. It convinced him.

"Well, then. If it's anything Nekomaru Nidai can help with…" The gamer flashed a goofy grin. "He will oblige."

I was half expecting that we'd return to my cottage, but he beckoned me into his own. His cottage is what you would expect of an Ultimate in his field. Shelves were stuffed with game cases, alongside handheld systems and controllers. An army of bulky consoles resided by his modest TV, I could only recognize a quarter of them. Across from it all was a beanbag chair, in the same blue as the stripe across his jacket, looking oddly untouched. He sat on the left corner of his bed, allowing me enough room to scoot in just behind him.

"Let's see…" He tapped the screen, and the game began. If only I knew what I was in for.

\------

**"Weird things are bound to happen in a school like this, but this was something starkly different, for a change. One might call it an 'incident', even. Our story takes place among some of it's resident students, on what started as a normal school week."**

_ The black fizzled out to reveal a horizontal 3D plane, soon recognized as a generic school hallway. The music thankfully felt better on the ears. In walked the crude, simple model of an average teenage student, stopping just across from another of a different gender. Little boxes full of dialogue and unhelpful name labels appeared. _

Guy A: Man! Sorry about that! I got caught up in the foot traffic.

Guy A: I'm sure you understand, right?

Girl A: … Uhuh. So that's your excuse this week?

Guy A: Hey… What do you mean by that?

Girl A: "What do I mean"? 

Girl A: You do this every time.

Girl A: Having to wait here each morning, praying that you'll show up before homeroom is over. Don't you think I'll get sick of it?

Guy A: You never took issue with it before!

Girl A: That doesn't matter now, does it?

Girl A: This is something you can only excuse from a little kid. I should expect better from you.

Guy A: Hey… Calm down, alright?

Guy A: Here!

_ The boy stiltedly walked up close to her. _

Guy A: You can have this!

Girl A: … You're trying to bribe me with ramune? 

_ "They really should've put an animation for that…" Nekomaru grumbled. _

Guy A: I'm not bribing you!

Guy A: I just got you your favorite flavor! You do like melon, don't you-

Girl A: Enough.

_ The girl spun awkwardly and walked off down the hall. _

Girl A: I'll see you tomorrow, Guy A.

Guy A: Wait! What about after school!?

Guy A: …

Guy A: … She didn't take the drink…

_ The view panned over to a new model striding in. It was another boy, but with a shorter head of hair to set him apart. _

Guy B: The Hell is up with you?

Guy A: Girl A just shoved me off…

Guy B: No, no, I saw that.

Guy B: I'm asking why you're taking it so hard.

Guy A: How could I not!?

Guy A: She's my best friend! And now she's… Acting all weird!

Guy A: I just haven't seen her this agitated in a long time…

Guy B: That's a shock.

Guy A: Huh?

Guy B: Haven't you thought, at least once, that this had something to do with that family of her's?

Guy A stepped back in surprise.

Guy A: … What does her family have to do with any of it!?

Guy B: Oh, nothing… Only _everything!_

Guy B: In fact, she should probably be this cold more often.

Guy A: Stop it, alright!?

Guy A: I get it, she has a shady home life, but I'm not going to focus on that!

Guy A: She isn't even like that! Like any of them!

Guy B: You'll see in due time, you fucking moron.

Guy A: Lay it off. Don't you have some Band-Aids to go organize?

Guy B: … What is it exactly do you think I do!?

Guy A: Anything other than the school work, that's for sure!

Guy B: OH, FUCK OFF!

Guy B: My personal studies are more important than trigonometry or whatever shit.

Guy B: You're just mad that I've stopped giving you test answers.

Guy A: So? What does that have to do with anything!?

Guy B: Jesus Christ, why do I still talk to you?

Guy A: I could say the same!

Guy B: What the Hell happened to you, Guy A?

_ Guy B sheepishly walked out past him. _

Guy A: Fine! I don't need you, anyways!

_ After he said that, all cinematics stopped. It seemed like he was free to move around. "Finally…" The Ultimate Gamer said in a small sigh, confirming my thoughts and dragging his finger towards the right to direct the character. The model responded by slowly making his way down the hall. When he reached a classroom door, he tapped to enter it, the door sliding shut behind Guy A and the screen fading to black. _

**HOURS LATER…**

_ The scene cut back in on the door opening, allowing the protagonist to step out once more. _

Guy A: That was tiring...

Guy A: It's all just the same tests and lectures on stuff I already know...

Guy A: Why do they have to treat me like a little kid? I already know everything about-

Guy A: !

Guy A: Hey… What's happening over there?

_ He jogged further down the hall, to reach Girl A with another student. It was a new guy, who was notably lankier than the other two. She had to look up to meet his gaze. _

Guy C: Hey… Look, I'm sorry…

Girl A: Do you really think 'sorry' is gonna cut it, after all this!?

Girl A: I don't think you understand the gravity of what you're doing.

Guy C: …

Guy C: Shit...

Girl A: You're stealing from us. That's what you're doing.

Guy C: Shit, shit, shit...

Girl A: The money is going to come out of you, one way or another. Do you understand me?

Guy C: Please…

_ He stumbled backwards. _

Guy C: Just give me another chance, alright?

Girl A: After all the chances I've already given you?

Guy C: I just need a little more time…

Guy C: I-I'm begging you…!

Girl A: …

_ Her model turned away. _

Girl A: You're lucky.

Girl A: But you aren't off the hook yet, got that?

_ And with that, she strode away, with Guy C hesitantly running in the opposite direction. The screen focused back on the main guy. _

Guy A: … Has she seriously taken up bullying!?

Guy A: This is getting out of hand!

Guy A: I just wish I knew what was wrong… I'm worried about her…

_ The screen faded away. _

**THE NEXT DAY...**

_ Cut to a scene similar to the intro, except Guy A was the one waiting patiently in the hall. Girl A entered, but without even stopping, she ran right past him as he turned in confusion. _

Guy A: Hey! Wait!

Guy A: …

Guy A: She doesn't even want to talk to me…

Guy A: … At least, I shouldn't be late to class.

_ Nekomaru was allowed to take control again. He repeated his previous route, bringing Guy A to his classroom. Going in and out, he had something new to say. _

Guy A: She didn't say if she'd meet after school, or really anything for that matter.

Guy A: But I don't think it's right to leave her alone.

Guy A: Maybe I should go find her? She can tell me about what happened.

_ He stood still, awaiting the gamer's control. He was directed to aimlessly trudge down the hall. A plain trash bin, that'd been there each time, now had something white hanging from its lid, which Nekomaru thankfully noticed as well. _

Guy A: Hey, is that…

Guy A: A letter?

_ Surely enough, a bubble popped up on the side of the screen to show a close-up view of a handwritten note. The resolution was so poor that I couldn't read what it said, but the character could. _

Guy A: "Meet me behind the building after school at 8 PM sharp. You know what I want from you. - Girl A"

Guy A: … Oh.

Guy A: I see how it is.

Guy A: She's found a new best friend, hasn't she?

Guy A: That... That _Bitch!_ She was just getting tired of hanging around with the pathetic Guy A, huh!?

Guy A: Well, I'm gonna see if this new guy really is any better!

Guy A: If she doesn't have the guts to just say it to my face, I deserve to invite myself to her little meeting!

Guy A: She'll see...!

**…**

_ The scene faded into the next, taking much longer than the previous transitions. It gave me an… Odd feeling. We were finally seeing outside the school halls, a grassy field which seemed much too dark for 8 PM, yet Guy A slowly stepped into the shot. The somewhat cheery music was replaced by a mind-numbing drone. _

Guy A: …

Guy A: So… This is what it's like at night…

_ He walked a hesitant two feet forward. _

Guy A: …

Guy A: Why am I so… Nervous?

Guy A: H-here…

Guy A: If I just hold this close, it'll comfort me…

_ I wish it'd show what he was talking about, but all it could show was him slowly continuing forward. It took ages as the walking and the background endlessly cycled under the Ultimate Gamer's control. The longer it went on, the more outright sinister it started to feel. Finally, the game halted his movement. _

Guy A: Now, where could they be...

Guy A: !

Guy A: Is…

Guy A: This is…!

Girl A: That was your final warning.

_ … Girl A? But, I didn't see- _

_ BANG! _

_…_

_A... pipe bursting? A ball bouncing off a tin roof? A car hitting a mailbox?_

_ Even with the fiery flash, and the shake of the screen… _

_ I wasn't ready to admit what that bang from the speakers undeniably sounded like.  _

Guy A: N-…

_ At first, she wasn't there, despite her line of dialogue. The view panned over to show Girl A standing stiffly, facing the right at an angle... Her arm was raised. _

Guy A: …

Guy A: … NO!

_ She lowered it, and turned to the source of that shout. _

Girl A: Y-you!

Girl A: What are you doing here?

Guy A: …

_ Girl A took some small steps forward, and Guy A countered them with small steps back. _

Girl A: Leave.

Girl A: Get out of here, ok?

Girl A: If you just walk away, right now, and pretend that none of this happened, I-

_ Completely cutting her off, another flash engulfed the screen, purely white this time. In with it came another sound. _

_CLICK!_

_ This sound, I couldn't even begin to deny. A sound that had been burned into my ears.  _

_ The anti-perversion shutter of a Fujufilm Instax Mini 7S Instant Camera. It was a model that I had as a backup carry-around cam. Despite the tinniness, I heard it so clearly. _

Girl A: Did you… Just…!

Guy A: I-!

Guy A: I DIDN'T MEAN TO!

Girl A: Then give me the photo.

Guy A: … Huh?

Girl A: Hand over the photo. Right now.

Guy A: …

Guy A: No.

Girl A: What?

Guy A: I… Refuse.

Girl A: … Don't make me repeat myself. 

Guy A: …

_ After a still few seconds, she stepped forward. _

Girl A: Give. 

Girl A: Me. 

Girl A: The. 

Girl A: Picture.

Guy A: …

Girl A: You worthless camera boy.

_ It all happened so fast. _

**RUN!**

**RUN!**

**RUN!**

**RUN!**

_ Those little prompts popping up, before I knew it, Girl A charged at Guy A. Following the instruction, Nekomaru immediately tapped the screen to make our character sprint, with a skillful yet anxious rhythm. Despite having the Ultimate Gamer at the helm, it looked like she was just getting closer, his finger speeding up with my heartbeat. After her intensive chase was finally over, Guy A ducked behind a tree. It panned over to show her staring at the other side of the trunk, but she walked off dismissively, allowing me to release the breath I was holding. He just sat there against the tree for a few agonizing seconds, before beginning to speak. _

Guy A: …

Guy A: … The picture.

Guy A: I really caught it.

Guy A: …

Guy A: I… Need to see… It...

Guy A: …

Guy A: G-…

Guy A: Guy C…

Guy A: He's…

Guy A: He's… Really…!

_ I couldn't tell you what I was expecting. _

_ But it was far from what we saw next. _

_ It was… A picture. Not of anything computer-generated, flesh. Detailed. Real. To the left was what looked exactly like Girl A, her jaw slack. Something silver glittered in her hand.  _

_ In the middle, farther off, was something I almost don't want to describe. Guy C, balled up in the grass. His hand draped over his chest. Something dripped from under his palm… Something… Something pink. _

_ A picture that only appeared for a few seconds, told the entire story. _

\------

I couldn't say anything.

Nekomaru couldn't say anything.

Neither of us could say a word, we just stared into each other's blank faces. 

Eventually, the black switched back into the normal eHandbook screen. Once it did, Nekomaru turned it off and carefully placed it on my lap. He got up to stand in the middle of his room, staring away at the wall. I got up and carefully approached him from behind.

"I don't get it…" After a moment, he mumbled.

"Huh?"

"What did any of it mean?" Now that. That was a normal speaking volume, which was practically yelling by his standards. This was the first time I heard how intensely deep his voice was, how intimidating it was… Or was I just completely shaken up by the contents of that game?

Was… Was…

I wasn't even in the right mind to theorize. I needed to get out of the tense atmosphere culminating in his cabin. Not tense out of aggression, but the mutual disturbance.

Halfway through the door, I turned. "Thank you for your help."

He subconsciously minded me with a nod, eyes still fixed on the wall. I shut the door carefully, leaving him be.


	16. Chapter 2: The Final Performance - 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next breakfast meeting takes a turn.

I should’ve been sleeping for all those hours. Five? Four? Three? I lost track pretty quickly. I was just caught up on untangling all these knots that this recent situation tied into my brain. I’d normally say that I’m uncertain about this, but farther and farther into the night, I slowly convinced myself into mostly believing it. There were some conclusions I came to.

This game was a reflection of a real event.

My real event. 

The very one written on a card and sitting on my dresser. 

I mean, it all made sense. Guy A was supposed to be me, after all. Sure, anybody could carry a camera around, but to have it be that model and at such an inappropriate time added up too high. I even had to claim that I looked to my cams more emotional support, as completely pathetic as it sounded. The thing was, I couldn't get over how… 

'Fine! I don't need you, anyways!'

'That... That Bitch! She was just getting tired of hanging around with the pathetic Guy A, huh!?'

… Rude, Guy A was. Not that I think I'm some saint, but would I ever say something like that? How could I let myself become such a prick? I just wanted to deny it, but a simple phrase was the nail that hung this picture.

'Camera boy.'

It's a simple, innocent phrase, but hearing it used both affectionately and condescendingly by everyone, to a degree of patronising and annoyance… It became derogatory to me. It pulled my opinion in the opposite direction, because in my context, I'm the only person that'll ever be referring to. 

As for Girl A, the one who… Do I even have to say it? You know what she did, and recalling the incident made me feel queasy all over again. The person who did that must've been Mahiru. The way she spoke had an eerie resemblance, and if this was only accessed through my memory card, with me as the protagonist… It had to be about the memory. It had to be about how I "Became a main enemy of the Koizumi Clan". How I became a main enemy of Mahiru Koizumi. 

If this was anything else, I would've just dismissed it. I would've just made sure she never found out, and otherwise ignored it. The problem with this game wasn't about the game itself, only what I witnessed. 

Before my eyes, both on a screen and on that field, I saw her commit murder. 

I saw her take another life, lacking remorse, and go on her way to try and take mine as well.

She was the same breed as Sonia, a killer. A killer, a killer, a killer. The word shook in my veins. The person who assumed authority over our class with intimidation alone, who had our every move under her watch, whose talent would not be above such a low, was a killer. I remember what Teruteru said, the words I agreed with. He said that we should be able to trust the others because they weren't like Sonia… So what do I do now that there's someone like her? Do I just wait and see her intentions unfold? Do I even want to show up to this meeting? No, I didn't. That's why I tried to stay in. That's why I would've stayed if my partner hadn't knocked on the door.

"You slept in again!" He sounded genuinely concerned at first. "What, is your beauty sleep that important to you? If so, at least it's certainly paying off…" 

"What do you need?" I grumbled, my annoyance spilling through my voice.

"Mahiru needs everyone to show up this time. She sent us back to grab our memory cards and get anyone who's absent."

"Wait… What was that second part?" I heard him, and I was afraid to ask, yet I had him clarify.

"She wants us to bring our memory cards to the meeting."

"W-why?"

"I don't know. She probably just wants to make some point about them." So, what was I supposed to do? Bring the letter to potentially let her read it, or leave it here and piss her off? I went with the former, since if I left it behind, she'd probably do something invasive like search my room. I was just going to have to do my best to please her, since that was my last resort.

The restaurant was the same as I remember it. Once I walked in, my attention was immediately on a predictable scene being made. Mikan was on the floor, a bowl of porridge spilt in front of her, and Hiyoko was positively fuming.

"NOW, LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE. YOU GOT IT ALL OVER MY DRESS!" She whined and pointed to a pitifully tiny spot of oat that got on her skirt.

The gymnast fumbled with her words as she got up. "I-I'm so sorry, your highness! I didn't- I didn't mean to…!"

"It doesn't matter, you ugly whore! If we weren't on this island, you'd be forking over thousands for these damages! Scram!" 

Being too intimidated to speak, Mikan slowly nodded and ran off with glassy eyes.

Seeing as she normally made her entrance after everyone else, I was surprised to find… Her, already standing at the center of the room. She still had her own little space carved out from the lazily-pushed tables, and sat upon a throne of a dining chair. She was surveying a clipboard that I didn't even know she had. I knew immediately that I'd never be able to see her the same way again. Those few times that her flickering gaze landed on me, I felt about ready to crumple up and…

No, I'm not ready to use that word. I needed to sit down. I shared a booth with the Ultimate Rockstar, who seemed much too excited about it.

"Isn't this just romantic!" He described our shared breakfast. The way I felt, it was anything but that, yet I humored him with some snark.

"Romantic? Like last time?"

"That wasn't so bad! I think we've made a lot of progress! I saw the way you looked at me." He pinched some microwave ramen between his sticks, and dropped them into his mouth, letting some of it hang out. "If I'm lucky, perhaps I'll see your lips on the other end of one of these noodles!"

"Like those scenes in movies? But, those noodles are way too short for that."

"It just makes it more direct~!" He slurped up any dangling pasta. I would never understand if he was too honest with his feelings, or if he just had a very uncomfortable sense of humor. Regardless, that creepy feeling he gives others was not helping me.

"Alright, everyone's here. Settle down." I regretfully listened as that stern voice called out over the sea of chit chat. "Let's cut to the chase. I have a few things I need to do." But as she was skimming over her clipboard, presumably her notes, a different voice caught the crowd's attention.

"Hey! Kids!"

It came from a corner booth. From under the table struggled out the small silhouette of Monokuma. His condition was unavoidable. He walked in a slight limp. A huge chunk was taken out of his head, the cotton bursting out of it. The tear in the fabric was definitely leaking horribly, with his left eye irritated, and his fur coloring had gone from black and white to black and fuchsia. If he was human, he wouldn't even be standing. Why… Was he bleeding, anyways? I came to terms with the fact that living stuffed animals existed, I had to after all, but all I had seen come out of him was polyfill, even when he was gunned to Hell and back by his sister's machine. It doesn't even make sense that a teddy bear would have any body fluids, yet now that I thought about it, I had seen his face glisten with sweat and tears before…

"Every time. Every time I need to say something, one of you two toys just has to come along and mistake our meeting for a little girl's tea party." Mahiru had a steady grip on the bridge of her nose. 

"I won't take long, I promise! Yeesh!" The bear held his gaping wound in his paw, too casually. He didn't seem too bothered by his injuries, but instead by what caused them. "I just need to warn you all to stay away from the island gates."

"The island gates? Is it because of those big robots loitering in front of them?" Ibuki tilted her head.

"Bingo." His face didn't change, but sounded like he was grimacing. "I'm trying to take the beasts down so you can access the other islands, but I… I just can't! They're too damn strong! I can't do this crap without my magic stick!"

"So you came to tell us… That nothing's changed?" The Ultimate Yakuza leered.

"No! I came to tell you that despite that, I'm going to keep fighting! For all of you!" He waved his arms in the air. "And it doesn't matter what I look like, you're still my students! I won't give up so easily!" He poofed off in his motivated huff. We regarded his leave with silence.

"... Now. Pay attention." She crossed her arms and pushed her feet towards Group C's table. "To make sure you're all complying… I'm going to be checking your envelopes." That announcement lodged a huge lump in my throat to swallow.

She was efficient with her inspections, tugging at the unbroken seals of the two boy's letters. I sat and wallowed in my horror as she got to our table, checking Teruteru first and allowed more time to panic. My legs were quaking, I was counting down the heartbeats I had left until she beat me to death. It finally happened. She stepped a few paces to get to me. Instead of reaching to me, like I expected, she stood straight and spoke.

"Where were you yesterday?" 

… So she's caught up on that, first and foremost. Looks like I've already gotten on her bad side, gotten my chances of survival down to zero. Do I fight? Do I lay down and die? First, after my long pause of contemplation, I had to answer.

"I slept in. I'm sorry about my absence." The apologetic smile on my face was forced.

"... That matches up with Teruteru's claim." I should've been relieved to hear that, but no amount of bliss could override the fear shaking my body. "Why are you so lazy? Do you think since your talent gives you an observant role, you can just laze about while everyone else actually does what they're told?"

"That's… That's…" I didn't want to fight back, yet I didn't want to claim that was the case. I stayed silent.

"At the very least, you didn't open your envelope. At least you obeyed the bottom line, right?" I couldn't recognize her tone at all. Was she being genuine, was she being sarcastic? What was she even saying? She held out her hand and beckoned. "Here, let me see." 

"..." I just sat and shook. The position I was put in was nothing short of horrifying. I could compare it to having your parents confront you about your bad grades, while you just sat in shame, but it was nowhere near that light-hearted. I couldn't even find the will to move.

"Don't make me repeat myself." Her words were starting to sound familiar. It was like I was being put back in my position in the game, seconds away from her attack. I could run off again, narrowly avoiding her wrath, but I had a gut feeling I wouldn't be so lucky this time. I didn't even know what I was doing, but I gently began to pull it from my pocket. Without allowing me to do it myself, she jammed her hand between mine and my pants, and snagged the envelope for herself. When she flipped up the flap effortlessly, when she saw the way the paper was intentionally teared, her face became so red it began to blend in with her hair. She stared at it, her breathing slowly becoming heavy.

"D-... Don't read it." The only sound I could make was a quiet plea, my face was feeling hot and flushed with emotion. She finally slammed the note down on the table in front of me. It was so loud and so sudden, it felt like I just heard-… Heard a gunshot.

"You think I'm going to concern myself with the life of a slum like you?" A strained giggle bubbled in her throat, but it only sounded hysterical. Her mouth curled into a painful grin. "I asked for one thing. One thing. Something so simple, that a baby could obey it." She got close into my face, her volume pointedly increased.. "I only asked for one thing, and you couldn't even do that." I was on edge. Any moment now. Everything about her foretold my fate, and I just had to wait for it. Just then, my scalp began to burn as she grasped a fistful of brunette, as I was pulled up to my feet by my hair.

"GET OFF OF ME! STOP- STOP TOUCHING ME!" I immediately began to scream, the built up panic was finally erupting. I tried to grab at her wrist and wiggle out of her grip, but it only made it hurt worse. "LET ME GO!"

"If you can't respect my rules, then I won't respect you." She stated in a growl. From the prolonged, stinging pain in my head, my eyes began to water. The way they were all staring at me, gawking at my panic, she took advantage of. "See this? This is what would happen if you read your note. You become paranoid, irritable… violent. Your incentive to harm is cranked up. If you don't listen to me, you could end up like this boy." They all were just staring at me, even Teruteru was backing away from the table as he watched. I felt like some powerless circus animal under the whip of the ring leader. My eye watering turned into real, hot, heavy tears, as sobs forced their way out of my throat.

"Mikan,"

"Wah…?"

"I'll be giving you my partner to group with, and I'll have Teruteru in her place. I need the Ultimate Team Manager to keep him in the old building and… Watch over the photographer. I cannot trust him in his current state."

Peko rose from her seat and bowed. "Yes, miss."


End file.
